Part 2

Slow against the resisting foliage, Rusty followed the maddening pace and considered every step his last. Snatching at strange fruit, pausing at shallow pools for unrefreshing sleep, they lost all conception of time. There was no distinct night and day, no restful blackness, only a change of hue in the tinted air and painted sky; a green which deepened to a phosphoric glow, then faded again as the strange sun burned redly over the jungle. Weary to falling, sick of mind with the heat and the moist air, Rusty plodded along at Spike's side, marveled at his fellow Earthian's endurance. But pirating about every planet of the system, had hardened Spike to anything the Universe could inflict. The little Venusian was not affected at all, but rather thrived in the dank heat which was little different from his native world. And immuned on a world that spun ceaselessly from hot to cold, his native Vulcan, nothing fazed the mighty Lothar.

The Martian, however, fared worse than the rest. His body, covered with thick, red hair, was matted with a viscous perspiration. His large ears drooped as he struggled along, spindling form bent as he slid one weary, primate foot after the other.

Rusty wondered how they knew the right direction. Dizzy with the heat, he did not realize he had even asked the question.

"Depend on Lothar," said Spike, wiping a streaming brow. "Vulcanites can find their way out of hell."

Hearing his name, the giant dropped back beside them.

"Any idea how much farther?"

As Lothar answered, a long, green coil fell silently upon the Venusian at Rusty's side, yanked him swiftly up into the thick plants.

It happened fast. Rusty doubted his eyes. It must be the heat--but the little green man was gone.

Spike yelled.

The Martian staggered up. They peered into the dense growth above and there was only the heavy leaves. The Venusian had vanished, as if spirited away by the Wisps of Jupiter.

"Another one," said Spike. He stepped on into the jungle.

"Wait!" cried Rusty. They couldn't just leave--without even looking. To what depths had these men sunk? Was there no spark of humanity left?

He grabbed a limb, swung up into the matted roof.

It was a stifling mass of green. He could see nothing. He probed about, futilely. There was not even a trace where the Venusian's body might have been dragged.

Spike was climbing up when he came down.

"There's nothing there! I--!"

Spike shrugged. "Let's go," he said impassively. He kicked aside the plants, struck off into the vegetation.

Rusty tarried, gazing up into the foliage. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing up there. That made _two_. Men had never survived this place. How long before it would be his turn?

He followed the three disappearing figures.

The heat closed in and the world swam, a green daze, before his eyes. His body moved by sheer will. His mind was far away, a cub reporter on his first assignment. He shook his head savagely as the Tele-news office appeared before him, a wavering hallucination.

* * * * *

It was several miles before they noticed that the Martian was gone.

Rusty looked back and there was only the dark jungle, quiet and ominous, green with a mirage-like beauty of fresh life, but a beauty of silent death. What things watched unseen from those thick masses? Watched their every move, ready to spring upon them? First the Martian killed by a spider. Then the little Venusian. Now another--to what death? God, if a man must die let him die _seeing_, not a swift vanishing to unknown terrors.

"Let him go," said Spike. "I never did like Martians."

Rusty wearily started to turn back. He tried to persuade the others. Spike and the Uranian laughed at his "girlish" exhortations. Every man for himself--they were probably right. He had a story to tell on Earth, one which he must live to tell. But Earth was far away.

They trudged on.

This time Rusty saw it happen. Or thought he did.

Spike was walking a short distance ahead. A thick, slender _something_ fell slightly over his head.

Rusty screamed to him.

Long acquainted with danger, the man fell flat.

And the rope-like thing whipped back, vanished into the plants above. It had been long and green, a slick, menacing danger of no name.

After that, the three walked side by side.

And the jungle stopped abruptly. Before them was the purple sea.

The tinted ocean lay smooth as glass, not a ripple upon its dull surface. Directly ahead, rising from the vast expanse of still water, was a dim, distant island, mountains gently rolling.

"It's the Plain!" cried Spike.

It was faint on the horizon, a hazy undulation darker than the mist of distance.

"Looks like mountains," said Rusty wearily. He despaired of finding anything right in this irrational world.

"It's the Plain," said Spike again. "You can't see it. They're the cliffs behind it."

He stepped to the water, waded in. Lothar followed.

"Hey!" yelled Rusty. "Why not build a raft? We can't swim that distance!"

"Build a raft from what? Those trees won't float. And the water's only five feet at the deepest."

Rusty gingerly waded in. The liquid, thicker than water but of similar elements, according to Spike, was covered with a thin film of vegetable oil. It was sticky, hot.

Making slow progress in the heavy stuff, Rusty splashed along in the wake of the ponderous Lothar. The water slowly deepened to his chest.

A scaly head popped up beside him. Water snake!

Impulsively, Rusty struck out with his fist.

The head disappeared, came to the surface again a short distance away.

It was not a snake. It was a Venusian--_the_ Venusian.

He looked at Rusty and scowled, if a _fish_ can scowl. Rusty stared, unbelieving. He had appeared so quietly the others had not turned. Where could he have come from? How could he have escaped the thing in the jungle?

"How did you get here!"

"Why do you strike at me, Earthman!"

Rusty uselessly attempted to explain. They could never understand Earthian reactions. Rusty hated the green creatures.

The Venusian sneered, swam silently to the others.

"Well!" said Spike, with his usual calm. "We didn't expect to see you again! What happened?"

"Tree _vwark_."

"Oh," said Spike. He turned and waded on.

Rusty stared, aghast. These men weren't human.

"Hey!" he called. "What the hell's a 'Tree vwark?'"

Spike turned and smiled.

"_Vwark_ that lives in trees," he answered, turned back to the water.

And Rusty knew he could expect nothing more. The Venusians were strange of body, had stranger ways. They never spoke of their activities. It was an instilled custom of their kind. And he knew why Spike had not interrogated further, uselessly.

* * * * *

Scattered and splashing, the four waded toward the distant hills. Earthmen, Venusian, Vulcanian.

The Venusian swam easily ahead, often disappearing for long periods beneath the surface, absorbing oxygen from the water as adequately as from the air.

Rusty, succumbing to his innate get-the-facts complex, asked if the seas contained life, was answered in the negative. But he questioned the statement when they passed a half-submerged creature that weighed well over five tons, heavy clawed limbs rearing stiffly. The air about it was a nausea.

"Mud animal," explained Spike. "Life here came from the mire instead of the sea. With the exception of the Plain, the whole planet is covered with soft mud, thousands of miles deep. It is there that most of the life exists. This one probably got wounded, came blindly up and died."

As the Earthian spoke, he halted, his face suddenly darkened.

Rusty, advancing to him, felt a strong suction beneath his feet. Go back! But he could not turn back, nor go forward.

"Lothar!" yelled Spike, but the mighty Vulcanian was also caught fast in the grim pull.

The mire under the water had softened, like quicksand. It tugged at his feet and legs, pulling him slowly down into the green ooze. He splashed with powerful strokes. He sank deeper.

"Fish!" cried Spike. The lithe Venusian idly tread water beside them, showed little interest. "Get us out of here!"

The water slowly climbed up Rusty's fear-tingling body. He could feel the liquid creeping up, as he was pulled down, into the slime. He strained with all the power of his legs. Seized them with his hands and pulled. He sank deeper, slowly. He could feel the bottomless suction. Like a nightmare in which one falls slowly. It was no nightmare. It was stark reality. Thick water, green ooze. He splashed wildly.

Fish stared from one to the other, curiously.

"Get you out?" he asked.

This was madness. It could not happen to him. He was Rusty Carter, an ordinary Tele-newsman. He could not die here. The water was beneath his chin. Rusty remembered no aid could be expected from the Venusian. His nature, utterly individualistic, could barely conceive of anyone needing, much less asking for help. Damn Venusians.

"Damn you, I'll twist your scaly neck!" cried Spike. "Help us out of here!"

Rusty sank lower. Neck muscles strained to hold his head above the surface. He remembered once on Mars seeing six Venusians killed separately by a lizard, when together they could have easily torn it to pieces. He choked as water entered his mouth, swallowed. Must keep mouth closed. It had a sour taste.

Spike's tone changed. "Pull us out and I will give you much whirl-water when we reach Earth!"

Whisky was the one temptation of the bright star's people, something they coveted, could not understand. Rusty's eyes were filming, the water upon his face, straining back and upward. Interplanetary Control had long forbidden the sale of liquor to Venusians. The water was at his nose, burning, bubbling. He gasped. It entered his nose, his throat, tickled in his chest. He wanted to cough. The water covered his mouth. This was all. This was drowning. Wild fear, insane rage surged through him. His head went under. He tugged mightily at the water above him, felt hands in air. His lungs screamed for air, his chest bursting. He opened his mouth, and took a deep, gasping breath....

Coughing, he was carried a safe distance, dropped unceremoniously into the water again. His eyes were blurred and he was sick. He wanted to kill that Venusian. They were all that way.

Sputtering, Rusty rubbed his eyes, saw Spike and Lothar watching from shallow water. The Venusian swam ahead.

They turned and waded on.

* * * * *

It was night when they reached the Plain. Then it was pitch black, like fingers against his eyes. They had passed the balanced zone. Here there was a kilo-rev of darkness, they said. Rusty was told to get in line--the Uranian, cat-like, would lead the way.

With Spike before him and the cold fin of the Venusian to the rear, they were led for hours into the darkness.

Rusty's head vaguely ached. He walked with closed eyes, almost slept.

He bumped into something--Spike. Had he slept?

Lothar grunted, "Settlement."

Rusty strained his tired eyes, could see nothing. They marched on.

A faint glow appeared in the distance, slowly widened, became dots of light. It was one of the smaller moon settlements, Spike said; chiefly populated by rich farmers who raised the delicious _cavote_, luscious fruit cultivated for the interplanetary trade.

They halted on the outskirts of the city.

The city was dark. There were few lights but Rusty looked at the shadowed windows and knew people were asleep there, peacefully in a commonplace existence. For a moment he revered their simple lives, and the ordinary held no memory of monotony but a yearning for its rest as his heart went into the city and softly cried for admission. But there was no response to his pleas, only the black windows, and his longings were but a hollow mockery of his weary soul. He was a fugitive, a convicted murderer in the eyes of all he might meet--he was as these with whom he had fled just punishment. Trapped by a laughing fate, he felt little hope for peace ever again. His loneliness flamed to rage.

"Where's the space port?" asked Spike.

"I take," said Lothar, who had been there before.

He led them around the cluster of dimly lighted buildings, past the mud-flats of cavot plants. The city was voiceless, the streets were vacant. As they turned a corner, a great clearing spread before them, a landing field dotted with the shadowed shapes of space liners, and smaller craft. The field was sparsely lighted.

They paused.

"Spread out. See what's about," Spike whispered. "Meet here in ten revs."

The men slowly faded into the darkness.

Rusty saw a flat, lighted building at a near corner of the field.

Moving stealthily to a glowing window, he peeped over the sill. The walls were filled with space-station equipment. In the center of the room was a table around which nine men were seated, Martian pilots and a native watchman. As Rusty looked, the watchman arose, strapped a gun about him and left the room.

Rusty heard an outside door open and close, fled silently.

He returned, found the Venusian and Lothar. Spike had not come back.

* * * * *

They waited, staring into the darkness.

The night was suddenly torn by the staccato hiss of a vib-ray.

Spike appeared, breathless. "Watchman saw me!" he panted. "Found a ship. Come on!"

He sped again into the shadows, led them to a big space liner which nestled in the darkness of a hangar. The door was open. Spike motioned for them to enter.

A form materialized at the stern of the ship. A vib-ray spat.

Rusty, following the Venusian in the small door, saw Spike leap at the man. He could not make them out in the darkness. As he jumped down, he heard a quickly throttled groan.

Spike appeared again. "Get in! Quick!" Shouts and the sound of running feet came toward them.

Lothar was already inside. Rusty climbed in. Spike slammed the heavy door.

No sound came through the insulated walls but as they paused for breath the room grew rapidly warm--hot.

"They're raying the door!" cried Rusty. He had seen it done in many a police raid.

The plate glowed to a red heat, melted to a puddle. They sprang aside.

"Come out!" commanded a toneless voice. "We've got you!"

Rusty ran to the left, the others to the right. He tried the door to the next room. It was locked. The others had disappeared into the forward compartments, the door closed behind them. Rusty no longer felt fear nor panic. He was an animal now, fighting to live. He silently crept to the side of the seared hole in the hull. A dim glow of light entered from the field.

A sleek vib-ray poked its long nose in the doorway. Rusty waited. The gun was followed by an arm. A man came into view. His skin was red, Martian. He climbed into the ship, followed by six more.

Rusty crouched in the darkness, holding his breath.

They stood in the dim light, peering warily about. There had been nine at the station, Rusty remembered. Spike had gotten one. Where was the other? But they would discover him in a moment.

Rusty moved swiftly. He snatched a rifle from the nearest man. With the same movement, brought the stock upward, smashed it into the crimson face.

The others whirled.

Rusty leveled the vib-ray at them. They stared and their guns clattered to the floor. Slowly, their hands raised.

"Spike!" yelled Rusty.

The door opened and the Earthian peered out. Lothar and the Venusian crowded behind him.

"What's the best ship here?" Rusty demanded of the tight-lipped Martians. There was no answer. What did one do when one had a gun, wanted a man to speak and he wouldn't?

Spike entered the room. "I'll make 'em talk!" he said. He picked up a fallen gun, and before Rusty could stop him had fired into the group.

Four men died to show Rusty what one did.

The answers of the remaining three were as specific as they were hasty.

"Shall I finish 'em off?" asked Spike, amused. Rusty moved to stop him.

"Shall I finish you off?" said a voice at the door. "Don't turn around! Stay where you are!"

The missing man, thought Rusty. His heart did not leap at the sudden voice. He had grown to expect these things. Would he soon laugh at death as did Spike?

The Martians inside smirked, bent for their guns.

Rusty was looking at Spike. What would _he_ do? And Spike was not slow in acting. His gun was still leveled at the stooping men. His face did not change as flame shot from the barrel. In utter bravado, Spike rayed them down. Darted swiftly back against the wall out of the line of fire.

The gun hissed outside, missed and struck into the bodies of his own fellows. He would fire again.

Before he could turn the gun, Rusty was upon him.

They crashed to the ground. Rusty's spring carried him over the man, who was on his feet instantly, gun poised.

The gun was silent. Rusty rolled cautiously over.

He saw the bulk of the Vulcanian looming behind the crimson man. A huge hand had crushed his shoulder.

Lothar raised the Martian, bashed him against the side of the ship. He fell limply, did not move.

Rusty got up. There were seven dead men in the plane. One was before him, broken and bleeding. Another lay somewhere in the shadows. The nine men he had seen at the table in the station were dead. Was it his fault? He had killed none of them. No? They had been protecting their rights, their property. They had died doing so.

Fish climbed down from the ship. He kicked aside the body on the ground. Lothar laughed deep in his chest.

"We're wasting time," said Spike with a grin. He turned to the designated ship.

Rusty wondered if he could write of these things. The Tele-news seemed but a hazy memory.

* * * * *

The plane was a light cruiser, swift and well-armed. Probably the property of a wealthy merchant, it was luxuriously furnished.

Rusty gave the ship no more than a tired glance, waited for the take-off.

Jets roared in a steep ascension, then hushed to a restful drone. They passed out of the moon's heavy atmosphere. Rusty saw the stars cease to twinkle, change to a steady, burning light.

They were in space, dim and shadowy--headed home.

Rusty, Spike and the Vulcanian fell into berths as the ship was set on its course. Navigation was left to the Venusian. He did not sleep, gave no sign of fatigue. It was part of his nature.

Rusty slept dreamlessly and when he awoke, he found almost two days had passed. Mars glowed redly behind them and the star of Earth was bright before the view Plates.

Earth. Home. New York. He stared at the pin point of light, tried to locate the city. Millions of people there, at this distance--nothing. The Tele-news! A simple joy tingled within Rusty as he gazed at the distant planet. He was coming home. He had been far, he had a story to tell--one that had long outgrown its intended bounds. He saddened, however, as he remembered there would be no Skipper to hear his tale.

Spike came in.

"Gosh," said Rusty. "Is there anything to eat?"

"Not much," he answered. "We'll have to catch another liner before long."

"Buy food?" asked Rusty, sleepily.

"_Buy_ it!" Spike roared with laughter. "What do you think we got this ship for? Buy it! We take it--and anything else they happen to have aboard. We scuttled one liner off Saturn while you slept."

"Lord!" thought Rusty. This was what Lothar had mentioned on Pluto. They _had_ turned pirate. And he was considered one of them. They knew nothing of the scheme that had landed him on the stellar prison. They thought he was as they--another rat driven from the law-respecting Universe.

Rusty could rationalize the dead men whose ship they had taken. The ship had been available in no other way. It had been a fair fight. But now it could go no further. Earth gleamed in the distance. His part must change here; he had fought against Earth's laws, that he might regain them. He must stand for them now.

"Spike," began Rusty, "there is something I never told you. I must tell you now." And he told of the false crime that had brought him to Pluto, how he was to have been released and his sudden abandonment. He _was_ a fugitive, yes, in a way; but he must get to Earth--somehow vindicate himself. It would be impossible if he added real crimes to the pretension that had put him here. Spike must understand.

The chunky Earthian's face changed from surprise to rage. Then to a deadly calm. "We better not let the others know of this," he said.

The Venusian entered. He must have been just outside the door.

Rusty saw his eye, the cruel glint there, knew here would be a climax to his adventure. And he knew the result, while strength remained in his body, would be well. He could not lose now--Earth was too near, the end of his journey was at hand.

* * * * *

The Venusian stared at them with his single, beady eye. "Secrets!" he sneered. "I heard. An Earthian informer! I'll fix that!" He drew a short vib-pistol from his belt, leveled it in Rusty's face. His fishy eye gleamed.

Rusty met the gaze. "Put away the gun," he said. Rusty was experiencing a new sensation. He could kill this green thing without a twinge of conscience.

"Put up the gun," said Spike.

"Ah, so you're with him, too! I'll get you both." The pistol veered to Spike.

Rusty saw the bulk of Lothar squeeze the door behind the Venusian.

"Lothar is behind you, Fish," said Spike calmly.

The little green man slithered into a corner beside the door.

The Vulcanian stood there dumbly.

"Lothar," said Fish silkily, "these Earthians have turned against us--will sell us to the Patrol--send us back to Pluto. The red-haired one was a spy since the first!"

The huge Vulcanian stood silently, looking at Spike. His tremendous arms dangled at his sides.

"Don't believe him, Lothar," said Spike.

"Shut up, Earthman!" snapped the Venusian.

Spike ignored him. "We aren't--" He never finished.

The gun spit at him.

Spike stared at Fish in astonishment. Then he fell forward upon his face.

Lothar looked on foolishly.

The Venusian hissed softly between his teeth. The gun covered them both.

Rusty stared unbelieving. Spike was dead. He suddenly felt very alone. Spike had been merciless, cruel, little different from the others of his kind on Pluto. But he had been a man--an Earthian--a friend....

Lothar swung. Before the green man could squeeze the trigger. Fast. A heavy arm struck the scaly hand, snapped the gun from a broken wrist. The vib-ray fell to the floor.

Rusty watched him, motionless. Lothar grasped the green neck with one hand, placed iron fingers deftly over the squirming head and--as a man would pick up a marble--he plucked out the single eye. Rusty cringed.

Fish screamed. His reptilian arms flailed the air. Lothar slowly dismembered him, tore off his limbs one by one. He yanked the head from the twitching body--hurled the gory thing across the room.

Rusty stared with a strange fascination at the ghastly vengeance. He was still staring blankly when Lothar came toward him.

"You Earthman! I thought spy! You die, too."

The trance left Rusty. The giant Vulcanian loomed over him.

"No," Rusty said. "No! Lothar, listen--!" He suddenly realized just what was happening. He would be helpless in those powerful hands.

The creature reached for him. Rusty remembered covering a match between Earthman and Vulcanian once for the Tele-news sport section. The Earthian, champion of three worlds, hadn't had a chance.

He retreated slowly as the brute came on, bumped sharply against the wall.

The giant stopped before him, little eyes squinting at him. The stark deadliness of the face filled Rusty with an eery fright. Silently, a massive hand grabbed his arm.

With all the strength of his 170 pounds, Rusty swung at the jutting chin.

His hand smashed. The Vulcanian did not even blink.

He lifted Rusty, swung him around. His hold slipped and Rusty was flung against the opposite wall.

Arising dazed, he saw the Vulcanian lumbering over.