ke a hunter who
has snared a lion in a rabbit trap.

"Maya, are you there?" demanded Nuwell querulously. "We'll spell each
other at the wheel and drive up without stopping, but it will still take
two and a half days to get there."

Maya took a deep breath.

"Come ahead," she said in a steady voice. "I'll have your man waiting
for you when you get here."

"You'll what? But I thought you said he was only staying overnight!
Maya, don't you do anything rash!"

"I'm afraid I already have," she said, a little ruefully. "I have him
under arrest right now."

The noise at the other end of the line sounded like a dismayed shriek.

"You little fool!" he shrilled. "I told you not to do anything like
that! How can you hold a man like that for two days, single-handed? Call
in the police!"

"It seems to me that I already mentioned there aren't any around here,"
she reminded him patiently.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then Nuwell said,
with forced calm:

"I'm leaving immediately. In the name of space, Maya, be careful!"

Maya put the telephone quietly back in its cradle and looked across the
table at the Tartar she had caught. Dark smiled at her, easily.

"So the reinforcements you were expecting won't get here tonight, after
all," he remarked softly.

"He didn't say that at all!" she retorted, too quickly.

"There's hardly any point in trying to deceive me about it is there?" he
pointed out. "I can tell a great deal from your conversation and the
expression on your face, and I'd estimate that your help is going to
have to come from Mars City by groundcar--a trip I've just made, so I
know exactly how long it takes. Do you plan for us to spend these two
nights in your room, or mine?"

She looked at him silently, stricken.

"I see our waiter returning," said Dark equably. "I trust you'll enjoy
your meal as much as I'm going to enjoy mine, Miss Cara Nome."

8

The waiter unplugged the telephone and lifted it from their table.

"We're ready to order now," Maya said to him. "And please ask Mr. Gren
to come in here."

A few moments after the waiter left, the manager came to their table.
Quelman Gren was dark and thin-faced, with sleek, oily hair.

"When I told you I was here in an official capacity for the government,
Mr. Gren, you said you would co-operate with me in every way possible,"
said Maya.

"Yes, Miss Cara Nome, I have made every effort to do so," replied Gren.
"Is th