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Updated: May 26, 2025
The man who had called himself Brotow passed near us. I appealed to him. "We put on our suits. After our experience, we feel safer that way. If I'm to pilot the ship...." He hesitated, his glance sweeping the deck as though to ask Potan. Someone said in Martian: "The Commander is down in the stern storeroom." It decided Brotow. He waved away the Martian who had stopped me. "Let them pass."
Anita and I gave him our most friendly smiles. "Thanks." He bowed to Anita with a sweeping gesture. "I will show you over the control room presently." His gaze went to the peak of the bow. The little hooded cubby there was the control room, then. Satisfaction swept me. Then above us in the tower, must surely be the signal room. Would Brotow follow us up? I hoped not.
The duty man over us gazed down, his huge head and shoulders blocking the small signal room window. Brotow called up in Martian, telling him to let us come. He scowled, but when we reached the trap in the room floor grid, we found him standing aside to admit us. I flung a swift glance around. It was a metallic cubby, not much over fifteen feet square, with an eight foot arched ceiling.
"You shall pilot us when we advance upon the Grantline camp. I am control-commander here Brotow, my name." He smiled. A giant fellow, but spindly. He spoke good English. He seemed anxious to be friendly. "We are glad to have you and George Prince's sister with us." He shot Anita an admiring glance. "I will show you our controls, Haljan." "All right," I said. "Whatever I can do to help...."
I wanted to be alone with the duty man up there, giving me a chance to get at the projector controls if Miko's signal should come. I drew Anita past Brotow, who had stood aside. "Thanks," I repeated. "We won't be long." We mounted the little ladder. "Hurry, Anita!" I feared that Potan might come up from the hull at any moment and stop us.
He had shouted up violently at his duty man here not to fire again. And now he let out a roar. "I can see them! It's Miko! By the Almighty his giant stature Brotow, look! That's not an Earth man!" He flung aside his telescope finder. "Disconnect that projector! It's Miko down there! This Haljan is a trickster! Where is he? Braile Braile, you accursed fool!
Just now I was concerned with Miko and his little band, who at any moment might arrive in sight. If we could persuade this duty man to turn the projector on them! He answered me in ready English: "You are the man Gregg Haljan? And this is the sister of George Prince what do you want up here?" "I am a navigator. Brotow wants me to pilot the ship when we advance to attack Grantline."
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