"No!" gasped Snap. "It's too dangerous!" Anita was clinging to Venza. "Colonel Halsey, I'm going too." Halsey stared, then made a swift decision. "Right. That is still better." I jumped to my feet. "Colonel, I should prefer that one of us men...." He gripped me by the shoulders. "Gregg Haljan, I take no suggestions from you!" His blazing eyes bored into me. "There isn't a second to lose. Don't you realize this means destruction of our three inhabited planets? I'll sacrifice myself, you, or these girls! Venza, take Anita outside. I'll join you immediately, give you last instructions. Take a portable audiphone with you." He turned to Snap. "This is the only way. These demons can't be forced. You know that." The girls were moving toward the door. I met Snap's anguished gaze. "Gregg, don't let them go!" "No! No, I won't!" I made a lunge past Halsey, with Snap after me. Halsey did not move, but one of his rays struck us. With all senses numbed, I felt myself falling. "Gregg--don't--let them...." Snap had tumbled upon me. My senses did not quite fade. I was aware of Anita's and Venza's horrified cries, but Halsey pushed them toward the door. It slid up. I vaguely saw the two girls going out with Halsey after them; and the door coming down. 3 I have no idea how long it was before Halsey came back. Snap and I were seated on a low metal bench against the wall. The effect of the paralysing ray was wearing off. We were tingling all over, our senses still confused. Halsey stalked in upon us. "So you are recovered?" Snap stammered, "We--I say, we're sorry as hell we acted like that." "I know you are." His voice softened. "If I could have done anything else, believe me, I would have. But I don't think harm will come to them. They're clever." "Are they outside?" I asked. "Did they find a way of meeting the Martians? How long have you been gone?" Halsey merely stared at me as though he had no intention of answering. And then the audiphone on the desk buzzed. "This is Halsey," he said. "Yes, I have them here. Bring them--did you say bring them?" We could not hear the answering voice, for Halsey had the muffler in contact. "No, I would prefer not to come. I'm watching something. I'm at the Red Spark Cafe. Well, I'm going back to my office presently to wait there." He continued in code. Like Snap, I had never had occasion to learn it. The words were a strange sounding staccato gibberish. He ended, "I will send them, Grantline. Very well, I'll tell them to locate him. At once, yes." He closed off the audiphone. Halsey swung on us. "You're all right now?" "Yes." I stood up, drawing Snap up with me. "What is wanted of us Colonel?" "That's better, Gregg." He smiled, but he was still grim. "I wanted you here to wait for this call from the Conclave of Public Safety. It met at midnight. They have ordered both of you there." "That's a secret meeting, isn't it?" asked Snap. "There was no report of it over the air tonight."