Wandl the Invader | Page 4

at once. His glance included us all. "Just this. There is
a man here in Greater New York, a Martian whom they call Set Molo.
He has a younger sister, Setta Meka. Have any of you heard of them?"
We had not. Halsey went on, slowly now, apparently choosing his
words with the greatest care. "There are things that I can tell you and
there are things that I cannot."
"Why not?" asked Venza.
"My dear, for one thing, if you are going to help me you can do it best
by not knowing too much. For another, I have my orders; this thing
concerns the very highest authorities, not only of the U.S.W., but in
Ferrok-Shahn and Grebhar too."
He paused, but none of us spoke. Then Halsey said quietly, "Well, this
Martian and his sister are here now in Greater New York. They have
some secret. They are engaged in some activity, and I want to find out
what it is. I have picked up only little parts of it."
He stopped; and out of the silence Snap said, "If you don't mind,
Colonel Halsey, it seems to me you are mostly talking in code."
"I'm not, but I'm trying to tell you as little as possible. You, Miss Venza,
need only understand this: the Martian, Molo, must be induced to give
you some idea of what he is doing here."

"And I am to induce him?" Venza asked calmly.
"That is my idea." The faint shadow of a smile swept Halsey's thin,
intent face. "My dear, you are a girl of Venus. More than that, you have
far more than your normal share of wits and brains."
It did not make Venza smile. She sat tense now, with her dark-eyed
gaze fastened on Halsey's face. Anita, equally breathless, reached over
and gripped her hand.
Then Venza said slowly, "I realize, Colonel Halsey, that this is
something vital."
"As vital, my child, as it could be." He drew a long breath. "I want you
to understand I am doing my duty. Doing, what seems the best thing,
not for you, perhaps, but for the world."
I seemed to see into his mind at that moment. He might have been a
father, sending a daughter into danger.
"I need not disguise the danger. I have lost a dozen men." He lighted a
cigarette. "I don't seem to be able to frighten you?"
"No," she said. And I heard Anita murmur, "Oh, Venza!"
"But you frighten me," said Snap. "Colonel, look here; you know I'm
going to marry this girl very soon."
"Yes, I know. You'll have to consider this a sacrifice, a voluntary
descent into danger, for a great cause in a great crisis. You four have
just come out of a very considerable danger. We know of what stuff
you are made, all of you."
He smiled again. "Perhaps that prominence is unfortunate for you, but
let me settle it now. Is there any one of you who will not take my
orders and trust my judgement of what is best? And do it, if need be,
blindly? Will you offer yourselves to me?"
We gazed at each other. Both the girls instantly murmured, "Yes."

"Yes," I said at last. It was not too hard for me, for I thought I was
yielding him Venza, not Anita.
Snap was very pale. He stared from one to the other of us.
"Yes," he said finally. "But Colonel, surely you can tell us more."
Halsey tossed his cigarette away. "I will tell you as much as I think best.
These Martians, Molo and his sister, do not know of Venza; at least, I
think that they do not. They apparently have not been here very long.
How they got here, we don't know. There was no passenger or freight
ship. In Ferrok-Shahn, they have a dubious reputation at best; but I
won't go into that.
"Venza, I will show you these Martians and the rest depends upon you.
There is a mystery; you will find out what it is."
He reached for his inter-office audiphone. "I want to locate the Martian
Set Molo. Francis, Staff X2, has it in charge."
The audible connection came in a moment. "Francis?"
We could hear the answering microphonic voice, "Yes Colonel."
"Is the fellow in a public place by any chance?"
"In the Red Spark Cafe, Colonel. With his sister and a party."
"Good enough. The Red Spark has an image-finder. Have you visual
connection?"
"Yes, the whole room; they have a dozen finders."
"Use a magnifier. Get me the closest view you can."
"It's done, Colonel. I did it just in case you called."
"Connect it."

In a moment our mirror-grid was glowing with the two-foot square
image of the interior of the Red Spark Cafe.