n
into the affair. To extricate ourselves, we offered to admit--under
temporary guard--all Venus immigrants who would pass on at once--at the
first astronomical opportunity--to Mars. This would have been very nice
for us--but not for Mars."

"They are hot-headed, in Mars," Georg commented.

"Quite so," said the doctor. "But very direct and forceful,
nevertheless. They met our suggestion with a law excluding Venus
immigrants entirely. It was this, I think, that precipitated tonight's
events--though of course they must have been brewing for a long time."

"This Tarrano--" I began.

"I heard of him when I was in Venus," said Dr. Brende. "He was at that
time a lower official in the Cold Country. Evidently he has risen in his
world.

"I come now to conjecture--but I think it must be fairly close to truth.
Tarrano, leading the Cold Country, has risen to open rebellion. His
attack upon the Central State must have come suddenly--"

"You mean, just this evening?" Elza asked.

"No, of course not. But hoping to quell the rebellion, the Central State
has suppressed news of it. At such a time--with this controversy going
on--such reports would only injure the Central State's inter-planetary
position. That's obvious, isn't it? Then tonight, when things were
desperate, the Central State gave out its call. Tarrano has conquered
Venus, I'm sure. And at the last, before destroying its helio, the
Central State tried to warn us."

"Of what?" I demanded. "And what about these murders?"

"Done by emissaries of Tarrano, no doubt. For revenge, because of the
Martian and Earth legislation--or for--"

"I think we should not speculate too much," said Georg. "At least, not
on that line. They warned you personally, father. We were so careful to
keep everything secret--"

Dr. Brende mopped his forehead. He was trying to appear calm--I knew he
did not want unduly to alarm Elza; but I could see that he was laboring
under great emotion nevertheless.

"Things get out, Georg," he said. "We have been careful--yes. But two
years ago, when I visited the Central State, I told them there what I
hoped to accomplish. There were no grave inter-planetary problems
then--I thought I had no need of great secrecy. And since then, though,
we have been very careful--"

Careful! With a Venus girl from the Cold Country living in their
household! Truly, humans are a strange mixture of sagacity and folly!

"The Central State has heard something concerning