Larkin was silent. There was still the question he did not want to ask. "You seem to have everything worked out to the last detail," he said. "We have," Docker nodded agreement. "Roy's a genius along those lines." Again he caught himself as if the name had slipped out unintentionally. Roy? A thought came into Larkin's mind. He put it out. What he was thinking was impossible. He writhed inwardly. He was going to have to ask the question he had tried to avoid. "Why have you come to me?" A smile appeared on Docker's face. "Because you are the only trader who has been able to win the complete confidence of the Martians." "I see," Larkin said. "So we have a use for you," Docker continued. "You tell us how you have won the confidence of these Martians and we'll cut you in on the deal. We'll see that you are adequately paid. Any price within reason." "Ah." Larkin was again silent. "But I thought you indicated that the Martians will have no choice except to deal with you. Under those circumstances why do you need me?" Docker's smile lost none of its easy sureness. "We prefer to do things the easy way, so nobody gets hurt. Since you are here and know the ground, it'd make sense for you to throw in with us." "So I am the easy way?" Larkin said. "Well--" "You go to hell!" Larkin said. He got to his feet, turned toward the door. Surprisingly, no effort was made to stop him. "We'll see you in the morning," Docker said. "It won't do you any good." Larkin walked out of the ship. No effort was made to stop him. He moved slowly across the desert toward the city. There was nothing about this situation that he liked. Least of all he liked the fact that Docker seemed to know a lot about him. How could that be? No one on Earth remembered him or knew about him. At the thought, sadness came up in him, replacing the smouldering anger. It would be nice to have someone to stand beside him now, someone fighting shoulder to shoulder with him. The word Roy came into his mind again. He quickly put it aside. Let dead dreams lie. But Docker had used the word twice. What did Docker mean? Larkin shrugged off this line of thinking. There was almost no question in his mind as to what he was going to do. If he took Docker's offer, and tried to trim the Martians, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt what old Malovar would do. The temper of the Martian ruler--chieftain, high priest--he had all these titles and more--was certain. Malovar brooked no cheating of his people. But, of course, Malovar did not know about this offer of Docker's. Larkin was glad of that. He did not want Malovar even to guess what was in the minds of the men in the ship. Entering his store, Larkin started in surprise. Seated in a soft chair at the back was Malovar. * * * * *