"I know what Marscorp is, and I'm not surprised they're behind it. But
I'm trying to digest all this you're throwing at me."

Happy fell silent, reluctantly, and Dark cogitated deeply.

Happy fidgeted, anxious to speak but afraid to interrupt Dark's
thoughts.

And then Shadow reappeared. Shadow appeared out of nowhere, and made
gestures at Happy. Happy glanced at Dark, timidly. At last, he gained
courage to speak.

"Shadow tells me--" he began, then cringed when Dark looked up in
surprise. Dark gestured to him to go on.

"Shadow tells me," said Happy, "that Old Beard wants to see you. Will
you go with us to Old Beard?"

"Certainly," agreed Dark. "From what you tell me, I'm rather anxious to
meet Old Beard, too."

He followed Happy and the alternately visible and invisible Shadow along
the paths that twisted among the vats for some distance. At last they
ducked into some luxuriant foliage that hung over to form a bower above
the space between two vats.

Old Beard sat there, in a corner of the dimness, pale eyes fixed
silently on the trio. Old Beard was not so very old. He appeared to be
in robust middle age, although his skin was very pale from long
existence underground. His hair and heavy beard were long and untrimmed,
and were a deep iron-gray.

"Thank you for coming," said Old Beard in a deep, resonant voice that
bespoke strength and bore an undertone of bitter determination. "It is
safer for me not to move around too much in the open except at certain
hours."

"I was glad to come, because I'm sure you can help me and I may be able
to help you, too," said Dark. "I'm Dark Kensington."

"So Shadow told me. I find this extremely interesting."

"You've heard of me, then?" asked Dark.

Old Beard laughed, deeply.

"More interesting than that," he said. "Once, before I was marooned here
and Happy's people came to know me as Old Beard, I had a name of my
own."

He stroked his beard, and favored Dark with a shrewd look from his pale
eyes.

"Yes," said Old Beard, "I've heard of Dark Kensington, and there never
was but one Dark Kensington, as far as I knew. That's why I find it so
interesting. You see, I'm Dark Kensington!"

11

The Xanthe Desert stretched red and barren on all sides of the plodding
couple, the sands unbroken by the form of plant or stone or any living
thing, all the way to the tight horizon of Mars. Above them, the small,
glittering sun slid down the copper-hued sky slowly tow