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He spoke English with the same freedom and accent as Miko. "Is this George Prince's sister?" "Yes. Her name is Anita Prince. Tell your men to take their hands off her." He waved his men away. They all seemed more interested in Anita than in me. He added: "I am Set Potan." He addressed Anita. "George Prince's sister? You are called Anita? I have heard of you.
"We need all our wits; your strong Martian drinks are dangerous. Look here, I'll tell you just how the situation stands " I plunged into a glib account of our supposed wanderings to find the Grantline camp: its location off the Mare Imbrium hidden in a cavern there. Potan, with the drink, and under the gaze of Anita's eyes, was in high good humor.
I could see them now plainly, down at the crater base. A group of hand lights and small waving helio beam. And they were being answered from the ship! Potan was on the deck a babble of voices, above which his rose with roars of command. At one of the dome windows a brigand with a hand searchbeam was sending its answering light. And I saw that Potan was working over a deck telescope finder.
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."
Far along the deck, beyond the central cabin in the open space of the stern, steel rails were stacked; half a dozen tiny-wheeled ore carts; a tiny motor engine for hauling them and what looked as though it might be the dismembered sections of an ore chute. The whole deck was presently strewn with this mass of equipment. Potan moved about, directing the different groups of workers.
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.
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