(a man knows little of the
technicalities of such things); throat bare, with a flaring rolled
collar behind--a throat like a rose-petal with the moonlight on it; arms
bare, save for the upper, triangular sleeves.

It must suffice; I can only say she was adorable. Almost in silence I
ate my meal, with her beside me.

Georg went into the house once, to consult the news-tape. It was crowded
with Earth events--excitement, confusion everywhere--inconsequential
reports, they seemed, by comparison with what had gone before. But of
helios from Mars, or Venus, there were none reported. Of Venus, the tape
said nothing save that each of our westward stations was vainly calling
in turn, as the planet dropped toward its horizon.

I finished my meal--too leisurely for Georg and the doctor; and then we
all went into the house, to the insulated room where at last we could
talk openly.

As we entered the main corridor, we heard the low voice of the
Inter-Allied news-announcer, coming from the disc in a room nearby.

_"And Venus----"_

The words caught our attention. We hurried in, and stood by the
Inter-Allied equipment. Georg picked up the pile of tape whereon the
announcer's words were being printed. He ran back over it.

"Another helio from Venus!" he exclaimed. "Ten minutes ago."

And then I saw his lips go tight together. He made no move to hide the
tape from Elza, but she was beside him and already reading it. Her
fingers switched off the announcer's droning voice.

_"Pacific Coastal Station,"_ Elza read. In the sudden silence of the
room her voice was low, clear, and steady, though her hands were
trembling. _"P.C.S. 10.42 Venus helio. 'Defeat! Beware Tarrano! Notify
your Dr. Brende in Eurasia, danger.'"_

We men stared at each other. But Elza went on reading.

_"P.C.S. 10.44 Venus helio. 'Lost! No more! Smashing apparatus!' The
Venus sending station went dark at 10.44.30. Hawaiian station will call
later, but have little hope of re-establishing connection. Tokyohama
10.46 Official, via Potomac National Headquarters. Excitement here
continues. Levels crowded----"_

Elza dropped the tape. "That's all of importance. Venus Central Station
warning _you_, father."

A buzz across the room called the doctor to his personal receiver. It
was a message in code from Potomac National Headquarters. We watched the
queer-looking characters printing on the tape. Very softly, in a voice
hardly above a whisper, Georg decoded it.