two Lensmen was in any mood for gayety. They acted, of course. They neither sought nor avoided each other; but, somehow, they were never alone together.
"Man or woman?" asked Gerrond.
"I don't know. All I've got is the recognition."
The Radeligian did not ask what that signal was to be. Not that he was not curious; but if the Gray Lensman wanted him to know it he would tell him—if not, he wouldn't tell him even if he asked.
Suddenly the Radeligian's attention was wrenched toward the doorway, to see the most marvelously, the most flawlessly beautiful woman he had ever seen. But not long did he contemplate that beauty; for the Tellurian Lensman's thoughts were fairly seething, despite his iron control.
"Do you mean . . . you can't mean . . ." Gerrond faltered.
"She's the one!" Kinnison rasped. "She looks like an angel, but take it from me, she isn't.
She's one of the slimiest snakes that ever crawled—she's so low she could put on a tall silk hat and walk under a duck. I know she's beautiful. She's a riot, a seven-section callout, a thionite dream. So what? She is also Dessa Desplaines, formerly of Aldebaran IL Does that mean anything to you?"
"Not a thing, Kinnison."
"She's in it, clear to her neck. I had a chance to wring her neck once, too, damn it all, and didn't. She's got a carballoy crust, coming here now, with all our Narcotics on the job . . . wonder if they think they've got Enforcement so badly whipped that they can get away with stuff as rough as this . . . sure you don't know her, or know of her?"
"I never saw her before, or heard of her."
"Perhaps she isn't known, out this way. Or maybe they think they're ready for a show-down . . . or don't care. But her being here ties me up in hard knots— she'll recognize me, for all the tea in China. You know the Narcotics' Lensmen, don't you?"
"Certainly."
"Call one of them, right now. Tell him that Dessa Desplaines, the zwilnik5 houri, is right here on the floor . . . What? He doesn't know her, either? And none of our boys are Lensmen!
Make it a three-way. Lensman Winstead? Kinnison of Sol in, Unattached. Sure that none of you recognize this picture?" and he transmitted a perfect image of the ravishing creature then moving regally across the floor. "Nobody does? Maybe that's why she's here, then—they thought she could get away with it She's your meat—come and get her."
5Any entity connected with the illicit drug traffic. E.E.S.
"You'll appear against her, of course?"
"If necessary—but it won't be. As soon as she sees the game's up, all hell will be out for noon."
As soon as the connection had been broken, Kinnison realized that the thing could not be done that way; that he could not stay out of it. No man alive save himself could prevent her from flashing a warning—badly as he hated to, he had to do it Gerrond glanced at him curiously: he had received a few of those racing thoughts.
"Tune in on this." Kinnison grinned wryly. "If the last meeting I had with her is any criterion, it ought to be good. S'pose anybody around here understands Aldebaranian?”
“Never heard it mentioned if they do."
The Tellurian walked blithely up to the radiant visitor, held out his hand in Earthly—and Aldebaranian—greeting, and spoke:
"Madame Desplaines would not remember Chester Q. Fordyce, of course. It is of the piteousness that I should be 10 accursedly of the ordinariness; for to see Madame but the one time, as I did at the New Year's Ball in High Altamont, is to remember her forever."
"Such a flatterer!" the woman laughed. "I trust that you will forgive me, Mr. Fordyce, but one meets so many interesting . . ." her eyes widened in surprise, an expression which changed rapidly to one of flaming hatred, not umnixed with fear.
"So you do know me, you bedroom-eyed Aldebaranian hell-cat," he remarked, evenly. "I thought you would."
"Yes, you sweet, uncontaminated sissy, you overgrown superboy-scout, I do!" she hissed, malevolently, and made a quick
"Man or woman?" asked Gerrond.
"I don't know. All I've got is the recognition."
The Radeligian did not ask what that signal was to be. Not that he was not curious; but if the Gray Lensman wanted him to know it he would tell him—if not, he wouldn't tell him even if he asked.
Suddenly the Radeligian's attention was wrenched toward the doorway, to see the most marvelously, the most flawlessly beautiful woman he had ever seen. But not long did he contemplate that beauty; for the Tellurian Lensman's thoughts were fairly seething, despite his iron control.
"Do you mean . . . you can't mean . . ." Gerrond faltered.
"She's the one!" Kinnison rasped. "She looks like an angel, but take it from me, she isn't.
She's one of the slimiest snakes that ever crawled—she's so low she could put on a tall silk hat and walk under a duck. I know she's beautiful. She's a riot, a seven-section callout, a thionite dream. So what? She is also Dessa Desplaines, formerly of Aldebaran IL Does that mean anything to you?"
"Not a thing, Kinnison."
"She's in it, clear to her neck. I had a chance to wring her neck once, too, damn it all, and didn't. She's got a carballoy crust, coming here now, with all our Narcotics on the job . . . wonder if they think they've got Enforcement so badly whipped that they can get away with stuff as rough as this . . . sure you don't know her, or know of her?"
"I never saw her before, or heard of her."
"Perhaps she isn't known, out this way. Or maybe they think they're ready for a show-down . . . or don't care. But her being here ties me up in hard knots— she'll recognize me, for all the tea in China. You know the Narcotics' Lensmen, don't you?"
"Certainly."
"Call one of them, right now. Tell him that Dessa Desplaines, the zwilnik5 houri, is right here on the floor . . . What? He doesn't know her, either? And none of our boys are Lensmen!
Make it a three-way. Lensman Winstead? Kinnison of Sol in, Unattached. Sure that none of you recognize this picture?" and he transmitted a perfect image of the ravishing creature then moving regally across the floor. "Nobody does? Maybe that's why she's here, then—they thought she could get away with it She's your meat—come and get her."
5Any entity connected with the illicit drug traffic. E.E.S.
"You'll appear against her, of course?"
"If necessary—but it won't be. As soon as she sees the game's up, all hell will be out for noon."
As soon as the connection had been broken, Kinnison realized that the thing could not be done that way; that he could not stay out of it. No man alive save himself could prevent her from flashing a warning—badly as he hated to, he had to do it Gerrond glanced at him curiously: he had received a few of those racing thoughts.
"Tune in on this." Kinnison grinned wryly. "If the last meeting I had with her is any criterion, it ought to be good. S'pose anybody around here understands Aldebaranian?”
“Never heard it mentioned if they do."
The Tellurian walked blithely up to the radiant visitor, held out his hand in Earthly—and Aldebaranian—greeting, and spoke:
"Madame Desplaines would not remember Chester Q. Fordyce, of course. It is of the piteousness that I should be 10 accursedly of the ordinariness; for to see Madame but the one time, as I did at the New Year's Ball in High Altamont, is to remember her forever."
"Such a flatterer!" the woman laughed. "I trust that you will forgive me, Mr. Fordyce, but one meets so many interesting . . ." her eyes widened in surprise, an expression which changed rapidly to one of flaming hatred, not umnixed with fear.
"So you do know me, you bedroom-eyed Aldebaranian hell-cat," he remarked, evenly. "I thought you would."
"Yes, you sweet, uncontaminated sissy, you overgrown superboy-scout, I do!" she hissed, malevolently, and made a quick
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