up against the wall. The knife in her hand went up. She stood for the
briefest instant regarding Anita and me, holding each other. I thought
that she was about to leap upon us. But before I could move, the knife
came down and plunged into her breast. She fell forward, her grotesque
helmet striking the grid-floor almost at my feet.

"Gregg!"

"She's dead."

"No! She moved! Get her helmet off! There's enough air here."

My helmet pressure indicator was faintly buzzing to show that a safe
pressure was in the room. I shut off Moa's Erentz motors, unfastened
her helmet and raised it off. We gently turned her body. She lay with
closed eyes, her pallid face blue. With our own helmets off, we knelt
over her.

"Oh, Gregg--is she dead?"

"No. Not quite--but dying."

"Gregg, I don't want her to die! She was trying to help you there at
the last."

She opened her eyes. The film of death was glazing them. But she saw
me, recognized me.

"Gregg--"

"Yes, Moa. I'm here."

Her vivid lips were faintly drawn in a smile. "I'm--so glad--you took
the helmets off, Gregg. I'm--going--you know."

"No!"

"Going--back to Mars--to rest with the fire-makers--where I came
from. I was thinking--maybe you would kiss me, Gregg?"

Anita gently pushed me down. I pressed the white, faintly smiling lips
with mine. She sighed, and it ended with a rattle in her throat.

"Thank you--Gregg--closer--I can't talk so loudly--"

One of her gloved hands struggled to touch me, but she had no strength
and it fell back. Her words were the faintest of whispers:

"There was no use living--without your love. But I want you to
see--now--that a Martian girl can die with a smile--"

Her eyelids fluttered down; it seemed that she sighed and then was not
breathing. But on her livid face the faint smile still lingered, to
show me how a Martian girl could die.

We had forgotten for the moment where we were. As I glanced up I saw
through the inner panel, past the secondary lock, that the hull's
corridor was visible. And along its length a group of Martians was
advancing! They saw us, and came running.

"Anita! Look! We've got to get out of here!"

The secondary lock was open to the corridor. We jammed on our helmets.
The unhelmeted brigands by then were fumbling at the inner panel. I
pulled at the lever of the outer panel. The brigands were hurrying,
thinking that they could be in time to stop me. One of the more
cautious fumbled with a helmet.

"