XXIX
Anita's words echoed in my memory: "We must do our best to beconvincing." It was not her ability that I doubted, as much as my own.She had played the part of George Prince cleverly, unmasked only by anevil chance.
I steeled myself to face the searching glances of the brigands as theyshoved around us. This was a desperate game into which we had plunged.For all our acting, how easy it would be for some small chance thingabruptly to undo us! I realized it, and now, as I gazed into thepeering faces of these men from Mars, I cursed myself for the witlessrashness which had brought Anita into this!
The brigands--some ten or fifteen of them here on deck--stood in aring around us. They were all big men, nearly of a seven-foot average,dressed in leather jerkins and short leather breeches, with bare kneesand flaring leather boots. Piratical swaggering fellows, knife-bladesmingled with small hand projectors fastened to their belts. Gray,heavy faces, some with scraggly, unshaven beards. They plucked at us,jabbering in Martian.
One of them seemed the leader. I said sharply, "Are you the commanderhere? You speak the Earth English?"
"Yes," he said readily. "I am commander here." He spoke English withthe same freedom and accent as Miko. "Is this George Prince's sister?"
"Yes. Her name is Anita Prince. Tell your men to take their hands offher."
He waved his men away. They all seemed more interested in Anita thanin me. He added:
"I am _Set_ Potan." He addressed Anita. "George Prince's sister? Youare called Anita? I have heard of you. I knew your brother--indeed,you look very much like him."
He swept his plumed hat to the grid with a swaggering gesture ofhomage. A courtierlike fellow this, debonair as a Venus cavalier!
He accepted us. I realized that Anita's presence was extremelyvaluable in making us convincing. Yet there was about this Potan--aswith Miko--a disturbing suggestion of irony. I could not make him out.I decided that we had fooled him. Then I remarked the steely glitterof his eyes as he turned to me.
"You were an officer of the _Planetara_?"
The insignia of my rank was visible on my white jacket collar whichshowed beneath the Erentz suit now that my helmet was off.
"Yes. I was supposed to be. But a year ago I embarked upon thisadventure with Miko."
He was leading us to his cabin. "The _Planetara_ wrecked? Miko dead?"
"And Hahn and Coniston. George Prince too. We are the only survivors."
While we divested ourselves of the Erentz suits, at his command, Itold him briefly of the _Planetara's_ fall. All had been killed onboard, save Anita and me. We had escaped, awaited his coming. Thetreasure was here; we had located the Grantline camp, and were readyto lead him to it.
Did he believe me? He listened quietly. He seemed not shocked at thedeath of his comrades. Nor yet pleased: merely imperturbable.
I added with a sly, sidelong glance, "There were too many of us on the_Planetara_. The purser had joined us and many of the crew. And therewas Miko's sister, the _Setta_ Moa--too many. The treasure dividesbetter among less."
An amused smile played on his thin gray lips. But he nodded. The fearwhich had leaped at me was allayed by his next words.
"True enough, Haljan. He was a domineering fellow, Miko. A third of itall was for him alone. But now...."
The third would go to this sub-leader, Potan! The implication wasobvious.
I said, "Before we go any further, I can trust you for my share?"
"Of course."
I figured that my very boldness in bargaining so prematurely wouldconvince him. I insisted, "Miss Prince will have her brother's share?"
Clever Anita! She put in swiftly, "Oh, I give no information until youpromise! We know the location of the Grantline camp, its weapons, itsdefences, the amount and location of the treasure. I warn you, if youdo not play us fair...."
He laughed heartily. He seemed to like us. He spread his huge legs ashe lounged in his settle, and drank of the bowl which one of his menset before him.
"Little tigress! Fear me not--I play fair!" He pushed two of the bowlsacross the table. "Drink, Haljan. All is well with us and I am glad toknow it. Miss Prince, drink my health as your leader."
I waved it away from Anita. "We need all our wits; your strong Martiandrinks are dangerous. Look here, I'll tell you just how the situationstands--"
I plunged into a glib account of our supposed wanderings to find theGrantline camp: its location off the Mare Imbrium--hidden in acavern there. Potan, with the drink, and under the gaze of Anita'seyes, was in high good humor. He laughed when I told him that we haddared to invade the Grantline camp, had smashed its exit ports, hadeven gotten up to have a look where the treasure was piled.
"Well done, Haljan. You're a fellow to my liking!" But his gaze was onAnita. "You dress like a man or a charming boy."
She still wore the dark clothes of her brother. She said, "I am usedto action. Man's garb pleases me. You shall treat me like a man andgive me my share of gold leaf."
He had already demanded the reason for the signal from the MareImbrium. Miko's signal! It had not come again, though any moment Ifeared it. I told him that Grantline doubtless had repaired hisdamaged ports and sallied out to assail me in reprisal. And, seeingthe brigand ship landing on Archimedes, had tried to lure him into atrap.
I wondered if my explanation was convincing: it did not sound so. Buthe was flushed now with drink, and Anita added:
"Grantline knows the territory near his camp very well. But he isequipped only for short range fighting."
I took it up. "It's like this, Potan: if he could get you to landunsuspectingly near his cavern--"
I pictured how Grantline might have figured on a sudden surpriseattack upon the ship. It was his only chance to catch it unprepared.
We were all three in friendly, intimate mood now. Potan said, "We'llland down there right enough! But I need a few hours for myassembling."
"He will not dare advance," I said.
Anita put in, smiling, "He knows by now that we have unmasked hislure. Haljan and I, joining you--that silenced him. His light went outvery promptly, didn't it?"
She flashed me a side gaze. Were we acting convincingly? But if Mikostarted up his signals again, they might so quickly betray us!Anita's thoughts were upon that, for she added:
"Grantline will not dare show his light! If he does, _Set_ Potan, wecan blast him from here with a ray. Can't we?"
"Yes," Potan agreed. "If he comes within ten miles, I have onepowerful enough. We are assembling it now."
"And we have thirty men?" Anita persisted. "When we sail down toattack him, it should not be difficult to kill all the Grantlineparty."
"By heaven, Haljan, this girl of yours is small, but verybloodthirsty!"
"And I'm glad Miko is dead," Anita added.
I explained, "That accursed Miko murdered her brother."
Acting! And never once did we dare relax. If only Miko's signals wouldhold off and give us time!
* * * * *
We may have talked for half an hour. We were in a small steel-linedcubby, located in the forward deck of the ship. The dome was over it.I could see from where I sat at the table that there was a forwardobservatory tower under the dome quite near here. The ship was laidout in rather similar fashion to the _Planetara_, though considerablysmaller.
Potan had dismissed his men from the cubby so as to be alone with us.Out on the deck I could see them dragging apparatus about, bringingthe mechanisms of giant projectors up from below and beginning toassemble them. Occasionally some of the men would come to our cubbywindows to peer in curiously.
My mind was roaming as I talked. For all my manner of casualness, Iknew that haste was necessary. Whatever Anita and I were to do must bequickly done.
But to win this fellow's utter confidence first was necessary, so thatwe might have the freedom of the ship, might move about unnoticed,unwatched.
I was horribly tense inside. Through the dome windows across the dec
kfrom the cubby, the rocks of the Lunar landscape were visible. I couldsee the brink of this ledge upon which the ship lay, the descendingcrags down the precipitous wall of Archimedes to the Earthlit plainsfar below. Miko, Moa, and a few of the _Planetara's_ crew were downthere somewhere.
Anita and I had a fairly definite plan. We were now in Potan'sconfidence; this interview at an end, I felt that our status among thebrigands would be established. We would be free to move about theship, join in its activities. It ought to be possible to locate thesignal room, get friendly with the operator there.
Perhaps we could find a secret opportunity to flash a signal to Earth.This ship, I was confident, would have the power for a long rangesignal, if not of too sustained a length. It would be a desperatething to attempt, but our whole procedure was desperate! Anita couldlure the duty man from the signal room, I might send a single flash ortwo that would reach the Earth. Just a distress signal, signed"Grantline." If I could do that and not get caught!
Anita was engaging Potan in talking of his plans. The brigand leaderwas boasting of them: of his well equipped ship, the daring of hismen. And questioning her about the size of the treasure. My thoughtswere free to roam.
While we were making friends with this brigand, the longest rangeelectronic projector was being assembled. Miko then could flash hissignal and be damned to him! I would be on the deck with thatprojector. Its operator and I would turn it upon Miko--one flash of itand he and his little band would be wiped out.
But there was our escape to be thought of. We could not remain verylong with these brigands. We could tell them that the Grantline campwas on the Mare Imbrium. It would delay them for a time, but our liewould soon be discovered. We must escape from them, get away and backto Grantline. With Miko dead, a distress signal to Earth, and Potan inignorance of Grantline's location, the treasure would be safe untilhelp arrived from Earth.
"By the infernal, little Anita, you look like a dove, but you're atigress! A comrade after my own heart--bloodthirsty as afire-worshipper!"
Her laugh rang out to mingle with his. "Oh no, _Set_ Potan! I amtreasure-thirsty."
"We'll get the treasure. Never fear, little Anita."
"With you to lead us, I'm sure we will."
A man entered the cubby. Potan looked frowningly around. "What is it,Argle?"
The fellow answered in Martian, leered at Anita and withdrew.
Potan stood up. I noticed that he was unsteady with the drink.
"They want me with the work at the projectors."
"Go ahead," I said.
He nodded. We were comrades now. "Amuse yourself, Haljan. Or come outon deck if you wish. I will tell my men you are one of us."
"And tell them to keep their hands off Miss Prince."
He stared at me. "I had not thought of that: a woman among so manymen!"
His own gaze at Anita was as offensive as any of his men could havegiven. He said, "Have no fear, little tigress."
Anita laughed. "I'm afraid of nothing."
But when he had lurched from the cabin, she touched me. Smiled withher mannish swagger, for fear we were still observed, and murmured:
"Oh Gregg, I am afraid!"
We stayed in the cubby a few moments, whispering and planning.
"You think the signal room is in the tower, Gregg? This tower outsideour window here?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Shall we go out and see?"
"Yes. Keep near me always."
"Oh Gregg, I will!"
We deposited our Erentz suits carefully in a corner of the cubby. Wemight need them so suddenly! Then we swaggered out to join thebrigands working on the deck.