hand flew to his heat-gun, obviously awaiting an excuse to use it. But the Earthman only stared at him stupidly for a moment, swayed, and then bowed low, almost losing his balance. He mumbled a thick apology and moved away. The Martian glowered, called him something not very nice. Other Martians at the table laughed.

Marnay sighed in relief. The bartender, grinning, touched him on the elbow. "If he's a friend of yours," he said, "better get him out of here."

"He's no friend of mine," Marnay snapped. "But I think you're right, anyway." He moved across the room. Already he could see many of the spacemen listening to the words "Vera" and "cargo," a little too attentively.

Marnay grasped the fellow's arm firmly, said "Come on." He steered him back to the bar, easily. Then past it toward the door. But the fellow smelled the fresh air and rebelled.

"You damn fool," Marnay said, struggling with the Earthman's two hundred pounds, "I'm gonna keep you out of trouble in spite of yourself!"

"Aw-w, we're all friends here," the other said very loud, peering around happily. A couple of Venusians at the bar snickered at the naive words.

"Mister, if you only knew!" Marnay said. "Come on, now, I know a better place than this." He added: "I'll buy you a drink there."

"M-m-m ... nope. You gotta buy me a drink."

"That's what I said," Marnay sighed.

"Oh-h. Then whyn't you say so?" Leaning on Marnay affectionately, he allowed himself to be steered outside.

Marnay sighed with relief and quickened his pace, pulling the other along after him. His only thought now was to get him away from the dives of this spacerfront street.

"Mister, you sure spilled the beans," Marnay muttered, more to himself than to his friend. "I know I wouldn't want to be riding the Vera this trip. You've endangered the life of every man aboard! Why didn't you just send Prather an engraved invitation to come help himself to that cargo?"

"I would have, but didn't know where to reach him; besides that wouldn't have been very subtle, would it now?" The fellow's speech was no longer thick. He suddenly quit leaning on Marnay, straightened up and pulled him around a corner into a dim side street. He stood there grinning in Marnay's face.

Marnay's face 

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