“I know, lover mine.” Nadia clung to him and returned his caresses with a fierce
intensity. “It’s been just as hard for me, but we couldn’t have stood it at all any other
way— thank Heaven we won’t have to fight ourselves much longer!”
Locked in each others’ arms they watched the scene until Stevens thought it time
to send his message. Then, running hand in hand toward the huge space-cruiser, they
were snatched apart and drawn up toward the double airlocks of the main entrance.
Pressure gradually brought up to normal, they were ushered into the control room,
where Nadia glanced around quickly and almost took her father off his feet by her
tempestuous rush into his arms.
“Oh, Daddy darling—you old dear! I just knew you’d come along! I haven’t seen
you for a million years!” she exclaimed, rapturously. “And Bill, too—wonderful!” as she
fervently embraced a young man wearing the uniform of a lieutenant of Inter-Planetary
Police. “Ouch, Bill—you’re breaking all my ribs!”
“Well, you cracked three of mine. Maybe you don’t know how husky you are, but
you’ve got a squeeze like a boa constrictor!” He held her off at arms’ length and studied
her with admiration. “Gee, it’s fine to see you again, sis. You’re looking great, too—I
think I’ll bring my girl out here to live. You always were a knockout, but now you’re the
dizziest thing I ever saw!”
He made his way through the group surrounding Stevens, while Nadia and her
father talked earnestly.
“I’m Bill Newton. Thanks,” he said, simply, holding out his hand, which was taken
in a bone-crushing grip.
“Bring him over here, Bill!” Nadia called before Stevens could find a reply.
“I don’t know how to say anything, Stevens,” the officer continued, in
embarrassment, as the two men turned to obey the summons. “She’s a good kid, and
we think a lot of her. We’d about given her up. We . . . She . . . Oh, hell, what’s the use?
You know what I mean. You’re there, Stevens, like a . . .”
“Clam it, ace!” Stevens interrupted. “I get you to nineteen decimals. And you
don’t half know just what a good kid she really is. She’s the reason we’re here—we were
down pretty close to bed-rock for a while, and she stood up when I wilted. She’s got
everything. She . . .”
“Clam it yourself, Steve! Don’t believe a word of it, Dad and Bill. Wilt!” Nadia’s
voice dripped scorn. “Why, he di . . .”
“Please!” Newton’s voice was somewhat husky as he silenced the clamor of the
three young people, all talking at once. “I will not embarrass you further by trying to say
something that no words can express. You told me that you would take care of her, and
I learn that you have done so.”
“I did what I could, but most of the credit belongs to her, no matter what she
says,” Stevens insisted. “Anyway, sir, here she is; alive, well, and . . . unharmed,” and
his eyes bore unflinchingly the piercing gaze of the older man, who was reassured and
pleased by what he read therein. “One thing I want to say right now, though, that may
make you feel like canceling the welcome. I loved Nadia even before the Arcturus was
attacked, and since then, coming to know her as I have, the feeling hasn’t lessened
any.”
“Nadia has already told me all about you two, and the welcome stands. If you
could take care of her as well as you have done since you left the Arcturus, I have no
doubt of your ability to take care of her for life. We have been examining the work you
have done here, son, and the more I saw of it the more amazed I became that you
could have succeeded as you did. We are deeply indebted . . . Just a minute! There’s
my call—I’m wanted in Fifteen. I’ll see you again directly.”
“Hi, Norm!” Stevens further relieved the surcharged atmosphere. “As soon as
you and Quince can leave those controls come over and see us, will you?”
“All x—coming up!” sounded Brandon’s deep and pleasant bass, and the two
rescuers, who had tactfully avoided the family reunion, came over and greeted the third
of their triumvirate.
“Ho, Perce—you look fit.” Brandon ran an expert hand over Stevens’ arm and
shoulder. “Looks like he might last a round or two, don’t he, Quince ?”
“You are looking fine, Steve. Neither of you appear any the worse for your
experiences. So this is Nadia ? We have heard of you, Miss Stevens.”
“I believe that, knowing Dad. Thanks, both of you, for digging us out. I’ve heard
about you two, too, and I’m going to kiss you, whether you like it or not,” and she did so,
fervently.
Westfall, the silent and reserved, was taken aback, but Brandon met her more
than half-way.
“All x, Nadia—payment in full received and hereby acknowledged,” he laughed,
as he allowed her feet to return to the floor. “Even if it was some stout lads from Mars
and Venus that did all the work we’ll take the reward— especially since Alcantro and
Fedanzo couldn’t feel even such a high-voltage salute as that one was, and I can’t
picture you kissing a Venerian even if you could get to him. Whenever you get lost
again be sure to let us know, now that you’ve got our address. If I know Perce at all,
you’ve heard of us ’til you’re sick of it and us—’sa weakness of his, talking too much.”
“Why, it’s no such th . . .” began Nadia, but broke off as an aide came up and
saluted smartly.
“Pardon me, but General Crowninshield requests that Doctor Brandon, Doctor
Westfall, and Doctor Stevens join the council in Lounge Fifteen as soon as is
convenient.” He saluted again and turned away.
“Yeah, ‘sright, folks—we’ve got to take a lot of steps, fast—see you later,” and
Brandon, taking each of the other two by an arm, marched them away toward the
designated assembly room.
There, already seated at a long table, were Czuv, King, and Breckenridge> all
fully recovered, engaged in earnest conversation with Newton and Crowninshield.
Alcantro and Fedanzo, the Martian scientists, were listening intently, as were the two
Venerians, Dol Kenor and Pyraz Amonar. The eyes of the three newcomers, however,
did not linger upon the group at the table, but were irresistibly drawn to one corner of
the room, where six creatures lay in the heaviest manacles afforded by the stores of the
Inter-Planetary Police. Not only were they manacled, but each was facing a ray-
projector, held by a soldier whose expression showed plainly that he would rather press
the lethal contact than not.
“Oh!—those the things we’re fighting ?” Brandon stopped at the threshold and
stared intently at the captive hexans. Goggling green eyes glaring venemously, they
were lying quiet, but tense; mighty muscles ready to burst into berserk activity should
the attention of a guard waver for a single instant.
But little more than half as large as the savage creatures with whom Stevens had
fought in the mountain glade upon Ganymede, the hexans resembled those aborigines
only as civilized men might resemble gigantic primordial savages of our own Earth.
Brandon’s gaze went from short, powerful legs up a round, red body to the enormous,
freakish double pair of shoulders, with its peculiar universal jointing. From the double
shoulders sprang four limbs, the front pair of which were undoubtedly arms, terminating
in large, but fairly normal, hands. The intermediate limbs were longer than the legs and
were much more powerful than the arms, and ended in members that were very
evidently feet and hands combined. What in a human being would be the back of the
hand was the sole of the foot—when walking upon that foot the long and dexterous
thumb and fingers were curled up, out of the way and protected from injury, in the palm
of the hand. From the monstrous shoulders there rose a rather long and very flexible,
yet massive and columnar neck, supporting a head neither human nor bestial—a head
utterly unknown to Terrestrial history or experience. The massive cranium bespoke a
highly-developed and intelligent brain, as did the three large and expressive, peculiarly
triangular eyes. The three sensitive ears were very long, erect, and sharply pointed.
Each was set immediately above an eye, one upon each side of the head and one in
front. Each ear was independently and instantly movable, in any direction, to catch the
faintest sound. The head, like the body and limbs, was entirely devoid of hair. The
horns, so prominent in the savages Stevens had seen, were in this highly intelligent
race but vestigial—three small, sharp, black protuberances only an inch in length, one
surmounting each ear, outlining the lofty forehead. The nose occupied almost the whole
middle of the face and was not really a nose—it developed into a small and active