will arrange it with Venza," Anita whispered swiftly. "She will tell
the others. Dr. Frank knows about it now. He thinks it can be done."

* * * * *

The possibility of it swept me anew. The brigands were of necessity
scattered singly about the ship. One by one, creeping under cover of an
invisible cloak, I could fell them, and replace them without alarming
the others. My thoughts leaped to it. We would strike down the guard in
the helio-room. Release Snap. At the turret we could assail Hahn, and
replace him with Snap.

Coniston's voice outside broke in upon us. "Prince."

He was coming forward. Anita stood in the doorway. "I have the figures,
Coniston. By God, this Haljan is with us! And clever! We think it will
total a hundred and thirty millions. What a stake!"

She whispered, "Gregg, dear--I'll be back soon. We can do it--be ready."

"Anita--be careful of yourself! If they should suspect you...."

"I'll be careful. In an hour, Gregg, or less, I'll come back. All right,
Coniston. Where is Miko? I want to see him. Stay where you are, Haljan!
All in good time Miko will trust you with your liberty. You'll be rich
like us all, never fear."

She swaggered out upon the deck, waved at the brigand, and banged my
cubby door in my face.

I sat upon my bunk. Waiting. Would she come back? Would she be
successful?

CHAPTER XVI

_In the Blue-lit Corridor_

She came. I suppose it was no more than an hour: it seemed an eternity
of apprehension. There was the slight hissing of the seal of my door.
The panel slid. I had leaped from my bunk where in the darkness I was
lying tense.

"Prince?" I did not dare say, "Anita."

"Gregg."

Her voice. My gaze swept the deck as the panel opened. Neither Coniston
nor anyone else was in sight, save Anita's dark-robed figure which came
into my room.

"You got it?" I asked her in a low whisper.

I held her for an instant, kissed her. But she pushed me away with quick
hands.

"Gregg, dear--"

She was breathless. My kisses, and the tenseness of what lay before us
were to blame.

"Gregg, see, I have it. Give us a little light--we must hurry!"

In the blue dimness I saw that she was holding one of the Martian
cylinders. The smallest size; it would paralyze, but not kill.

"Only one, Anita?"

"Yes. I had it before, but Miko took it from me. It was in his room. And
this--"

The invisible cloak. We laid it on my grid, and I adjusted it