eparting siren was sounding. Friends and relatives of
the passengers were crowding the exit incline. The deck was clearing. I
had not seen George Prince come aboard. And then I thought I saw him
down on the landing stage, just arrived from a private tube-car. A
small, slight figure. The customs men were around him: I could only see
his head and shoulders. Pale, girlishly handsome face; long, black hair
to the base of his neck. He was bareheaded, with the hood of his
traveling-cloak pushed back.

I stared, and I saw that Dr. Frank was also gazing down. But neither of
us spoke.

Then I said upon impulse, "Suppose we go down to the deck, Doctor?"

He acquiesced. We descended to the lower room of the turret and
clambered down the spider ladder to the upper deck-level. The head of
the arriving incline was near us. Preceded by two carriers who were
littered with hand-baggage, George Prince was coming up the incline. He
was closer now. I recognized him from the type we had seen in Halsey's
office.

* * * * *

And then, with a shock, I saw it was not so. This was a girl coming
aboard. An arch-light over the incline showed her clearly when she was
half way up. A girl with her hood pushed back; her face framed in thick
black hair. I saw now it was not a man's cut of hair; but long braids
coiled up under the dangling hood.

Dr. Frank must have remarked my amazed expression.

"Little beauty, isn't she?"

"Who is she?"

We were standing back against the wall of the superstructure. A
passenger was near us--the Martian whom Dr. Frank had called Miko. He
was loitering here, quite evidently watching this girl come aboard. But
as I glanced at him he looked away and casually sauntered off.

The girl came up and reached the deck. "I am in A 22," she told the
carrier. "My brother came aboard two hours ago."

Dr. Frank answered my whisper. "That's Anita Prince."

She was passing quite close to us on the deck, following the carrier,
when she stumbled and very nearly fell. I was nearest to her. I leaped
forward and caught her as she went down.

"Oh!" she cried.

With my arm about her, I raised her up and set her upon her feet again.
She had twisted her ankle. She balanced herself upon it. The pain of it
eased up in a moment.

"I'm--all right--thank you!"

* * * * *

In the dimness of the blue-lit deck, I met her eyes. I was holding her
with my encircling arm.