by E. K. Jarvis
Tom Blacker's name was announced to him, hismouth turned down grimly. He was commanding officer of the Space FlightCommission of the UN Air Force, and he had good reason to frown at thesound of the PR man's name.
But he invited him into his office.
"So you're Tom Blacker," he said, pinching his jaw. "I've heard a lotabout you, Mr. Blacker."
"I'm sure," Tom said. "Only I want to tell you this, Colonel. I'vebroken my connection with Homelovers. I'm on your side now."
"Side? There are no sides in this issue, Mr. Blacker. As far as I'mconcerned, Homelovers is nothing but a flea on the lip of a lion. Adamned annoying flea, maybe--but nothing more than that. Now what do youwant?"
"I have to talk to you about something. Something I just found out. Willyou listen to me?"
The colonel leaned back, looking at his watch.
"Five minutes," he snapped.
* * * * *
Tom talked for fifteen. Mordigan didn't call a halt until he wasfinished, listening without a change of expression. When Tom ran out ofwords, he merely tapped his fingers on the desk.
"And that's your whole story?" he said gently.
"Yes, sir. I know it's a wild one. That's one of the things they'recounting on. It's just wild enough to get me put into a laughingacademy, where I can't do them any mischief. But I had to take thatchance, Colonel."
"I see. And this--man you killed. What's happening about that?"
"I don't know," Tom said. "The way I figure it, Andrusco and the girlhave told the police that I was embezzling money from the firm--that Ikilled the treasurer for my own protection. But it's not true! He's oneof _them_--one of those creatures--"
"But you have no real proof?"
Tom's back stiffened. "No," he said grimly. "If I had proof, I'd havegone to the police. But I came here instead. Now you can tell me if Idid the right thing."
Mordigan grimaced. "I don't know, damn it! I don't have any love for theHomelovers. To me, they've always been a bunch of greedy businessmen,intent on salvaging their franchises at any expense. But it's not easy tothink of them as a bunch of--" His mouth twisted. "Loathsome aliens ..."
"Maybe not so loathsome," Tom said miserably. "I just don't know. Maybetheir cause is as just to them as ours is to us. But they're determinedto reach Mars before we do--before you do! And they'll do anything tomake sure--"
The colonel stood up. "But I'm afraid that question is academic, Mr.Blacker. Because if our calculations are right, an Earth vessel will beon the planet Mars within the next thirty-six hours."
"What?"
"No announcement has been made. But a Mars-bound ship was launchedalmost a month ago, containing seven members of the space commission.Our last radio contact with Captain Wright leads us to expect--"
"_Who?_" Tom was on his feet.
"Captain Gary Wright, the commander of the ship." His brow knitted."Why? Do you know him?"
"I'm not sure," Tom said weakly. "But if he's the same man--then thatflight's in danger."
"What are you talking about?"
* * * * *
Tom concluded his story about the death of the Homelovers treasurer,down to the last detail of the framed photograph on Wright's desk. Thetale brought Colonel Mordigan into immediate action. He buzzed for hisorderly, and in another minute, was fumbling through a folder markedClassified.
"Yes," he said numbly. "It's the same man. Father's named BenjaminWright, and he's vice-president and treasurer of Homelovers,Incorporated. I never connected the two ..." He looked up, his eyesheavy. "If your story is true, Mr. Blacker, then Captain Wright is oneof these so-called Antamundans. And if their mission is what you say itis--"
Tom clenched his fists on the blotter. "Please, sir! Let me stay hereuntil the flight is concluded. After that, you can do what you like."
"All right," Mordigan said wearily. "I'll fix you up with something inthe officer's quarters. But I'm sure you're wrong, Mr. Blacker. You_have_ to be."
Twenty-four hours later, radio contact with the Mars expeditionary shipceased abruptly.
From Mt. Wilson observatory, a hurried message arrived, reporting asmall, brief nova in the orbital vicinity of the planet Mars.
Tom Blacker, dozing fitfully on a cot in the quarters of a grumpyLieutenant-Colonel, was awakened suddenly, and summoned to the office ofColonel Grady Mordigan.
"Very well, Mr. Blacker," the colonel said stiffly. "I'm willing tohelp. Just tell me what you want me to do."
* * * * *
The receptionist smiled icily at Tom, and then the smile vanished like aMartian polar cap.
"Why--Mr. Blacker!"
"Hi, Stella," he grinned. "Mr. Andrusco in his office?"
"Why, I don't know. Suppose I give him a ring--"
He stopped the hand that was reaching for the telephone. "No need ofthat. I think I'll just surprise him. After all, it's been some time."
He turned the knob of John Andrusco's door slowly.
Livia was with him. When he entered, they both stood up hastily, theireyes wide and their mouths unhinged.
Livia reacted first. She cried out his name, and then sat down heavily,as if the words had been a physical force.
"Hi, Livia," Tom said casually. "Good to see you again, Mr. Andrusco.Sorry that I haven't been around--but things have been pretty hectic forme lately."
"How did you get here?" Andrusco's voice was choked.
"I've been here all weekend, if you want to know." Tom seated himselfblithely. "As a matter of fact, the Homelovers Building has had quite alot of visitors this weekend."
"What do you mean?"
"You know the staff of cleaning personnel that invades this place everySaturday? Well, there were some changes made this particular weekend.I'm sure you'll be interested in hearing about them."
Livia said: "Shall I call the police, John?"
"The police were represented," Tom said. "Don't worry about that. Infact, the top technicians from three government agencies were doing thehousework around here this weekend, Mr. Andrusco. They probably didn'tget the building much cleaner--but they swept up a lot of other things.Yes, they certainly uncovered other things."
* * * * *
Andrusco walked over to Livia, and touched her shoulder in a comfortinggesture. The sight of them made Tom scowl.
"All right!" he said roughly. "I'm not blaming you for what you'redoing. But things were getting out of hand, Mr. Andrusco. That's why wehad to put a stop to it."
"And have you?" Andrusco asked politely.
"I'm afraid so. It was quite a shock, let me tell you. We didn't knowwhat to expect when we dissected this building of yours. But the lastthing we expected to find was--a spaceship."
Andrusco smiled. "It was cleverly done. You'll have to admit that."
"I do," Tom said fervently. "You've got those space flight expertsabsolutely insane with curiosity. They'll want to hear the whole story.Will you give it to them?"
The man shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. I presume the engineshave been dismantled?"
"Made inoperable, yes. It would have been a great trick, if you couldhave done it."
Livia spoke sadly. "It was the only thing we could have done. There's noplace on this Earth where we could have erected a spaceship withoutbeing observed. So we created this building. In time, we would haveperfected the mechanism and left this silly planet of yours."
"That's what I don't understand," Tom said. "What about Antamunda--andthe survivors--"
"There's no longer an Antamunda," John Andrusco said hollowly. "Thestory we told you was true in its essence, but not, I'm afraid complete.You see, the exodus that took place five hundred years ago was a totalexodus. The entire population of our world--a handful, a pitiful raggedthousand--left Antamunda for this planet. We thought to make it our newhome, for all eternity. But in time, we learned that we had emigrated toan extinction just as certain."
"What do you mean?"
"This world is cursed to us, Mr. Blacker. I can't tell you why. We breedslowly, infrequently--you might even say, thoughtfully. And on yourplanet, but one child in a thousand has survived the rigors ofchildbirth on Earth." He looked at Livia, and the woman lowered her eyesin remembered sorrow.
"That's