that he was interested if
Negu Mah cared to tell him more. Negu Mah rose.

"My friend," he said, "if you will come with me, I will show you what I
mean."

Sliss grasped the edge of his tub with webbed hands and swung his
webbed, yellow-skinned feet free from the water which kept the
sensitive membranes from drying, and at the same time supplied his body
tissues with liquid. Falling upon all fours, like a great, misshapen
pet, he waddled awkwardly after his host.

Negu Mah led him to an elevator within the house. This took them to a
higher floor, and there they followed a corridor to the rear of the
building. Here Negu Mah, without showing a light, opened a door, and in
silence they moved out upon a small balcony overlooking the rear
gardens, which were shrouded in darkness because rising Jupiter was on
the opposite side of the building.

They had stood there only a moment when below them a door opened, and a
small figure slipped through. Another figure appeared from beneath the
shadows of a cluster of slender, purple neklo trees and moved forward
to greet the first. They met in the center of a tiny open space, where
a fountain spurting through holes in crystal made a sweet murmuring
music. And to the two watchers rose whispered words--"Nanlo! Nanlo, my
darling!" "Hugh! Oh, Hugh, my love, hold me close and tell me that
everything is ready for us to leave!"

* * * * *

Hugh Neils' arms held her close, and his lips were hot on hers. That he
was here as they had planned meant that he had succeeded in the other
plans they had agreed upon. Exultation soared higher in Nanlo's breast.

"Then we can go? Go now?" she asked eagerly, as Hugh Neils released
her. "The crew is asleep? You were able to arrange it?"

The young engineer looked down at her, his thin face a pale blur in the
darkness.

"In five minutes, just five minutes, Nanlo, my own," he whispered. "I
left the guard half an hour ago, drinking molkai into which I put a
sleeping powder. Give him five more minutes to fall asleep, then we can
go to the ship unseen, unchecked. Until then, we can wait here in the
garden."

He led her toward the trilling fountain and they sat down upon a bench
before it, of rare Callisto crystal. They still were in darkness, but
the flame-like Jupiter light touched the tops of the neklo trees above
them with a ruddy light which brought faint glimmerings from the
radioactive leaves.

Hugh