ironically. "Why not? Our women are very beautiful. Like you, is it not so, Venta?" I tensed at the glance with which he swept her. "I shall bring in the supper," Venta said. His gaze followed her as she rose and left us. "I tell you all this about our hidden weapons," Prytan was saying to me in his cracked treble voice. "We can trust you, even though you are Earthmen?" "Yes," I agreed. "Listen," Jim put in. "These young men you've got here—well, no offense meant—on Earth we'd call them ladylike." His gaze barely touched the gaudy figure of Jahnt and then went back to Prytan. "My business, sir, on Earth is to deal with criminals. I'm pretty good in a fight. You just give me some of your weapons." "I trust you," Prytan agreed. "Never, until tonight, has anyone but myself known about the weapons. If Curtmann knew it—" "He won't," I said. "We'll get them tonight. We—" I checked myself. The beat of wings sounded, and a Midge came through the window, and landed on Prytan's shoulder. "Well, Meeta," he said, "you come with more bad news?" A female Midge. It was the first one I had seen except at a distance. She was a fairylike little creature—a ten-inch high miniature of Venta. Her flesh was like pink-white satin, glistening in the insect-light. Her wings thrummed to balance her as she poised. "English?" she said in her tiny voice. "Yes," Prytan nodded. "These are good Earthmen." Her pixie-like, tiny face turned toward me. I saw then, in those tiny glowing eyes, the leap of her instinctive adoration for my giant size. Here a new God for her to worship and serve. "English, yes," she agreed. "Master, there have been still more killings. They kill our men now for no reason; and those of the women who are young and beautiful they have herded together into a harem." Prytan's old body trembled with anger. "We must stop it. And Meeta, have you told the Midge to meet us in the broken city?" "Master, yes. They will be there when the storm is passed. We cannot fly in the wind, and even now it is very strong." I
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