Jill nodded. “I figured that out . . . and that is why I discounted his odd remarks. I’m not dumb.”

“No, you’re real bright, for a female.”

“Would you like this martini poured in your thinning hair?”

“I apologize. Women are lots smarter than men; that is proved by our whole cultural setup. Gimme, I’ll fill it.”

She accepted the peace offerings and went on, “Ben, that order about not letting him see women, it’s silly. He’s no sex fiend.”

“No doubt they don’t want to hand him too many shocks at once.”

“He wasn’t shocked. He was just . . . interested. It wasn’t like having a man look at me at all.”

“If you had humored him on that request for a private viewing, you might have had your hands full. He probably has all the instincts and no inhibitions.”

“Huh? I don’t think so. I suppose they’ve told him about male and female; he just wanted to see how women are different.”

“‘Vive la difference!’” Caxton answered enthusiastically.

“Don’t be more vulgar than you have to be.”

“Me? I wasn’t being vulgar, I was being reverent. I was giving thanks to all the gods that I was born human and not Martian.”

“Be serious.”

“I was never more serious.”

“Then be quiet. He wouldn’t have given me any trouble. He would probably have thanked me gravely. You didn’t see his face—I did.”

“What about his face?”

Jill looked puzzled. “I don’t know how to express it. Yes, I do!—Ben, have you ever seen an angel?”

“You, cherub. Otherwise not.”

“Well, neither have I—but that is what he looked like. He had old, wise eyes in a completely placid face, a face of unearthly innocence.” She shivered.

“‘Unearthly’ is surely the right word,” Ben answered slowly. “I’d like to see him.”

“I wish you had. Ben, why are they making such a thing out of keeping him shut up? He wouldn’t hurt a fly. I’m sure of it.”

Caxton fitted his fingertips together. “Well, in the first place they want to protect him. He grew up in Mars gravity; he’s probably weak as a cat.”

“Yes, of course. You could see it, just looking at him. But muscular weakness isn’t dangerous; myasthenia gravis is much worse and we manage all right with such cases.”

“They would want to keep him from catching things, too. He’s like those experimental animals at Notre Dame; he’s never been exposed.”

“Sure, sure—no antibodies. But from what I hear around the mess hall, Doctor Nelson—the surgeon in the Champion, I mean—Doctor Nelson took care of that on the trip back. Repeated mutual transfusion until he had replaced about half of his blood tissue.”

“Really? Can I use that, Jill? That’s news.”

“All right, just don’t quote me. They gave him shots for everything but housemaid’s knee, too. But, Ben, even if they want to protect him from infection, that doesn’t take armed guards outside his door.”

“Mmmm . . . Jill, I’ve picked up a few tidbits you may not know. I haven’t been able to use them because I’ve got to protect my sources, just as with you. But I’ll tell you; you’ve earned it—just don’t talk.”

“Oh, I won’t.”

“It’s a long story. Want a refill?”

“No, let’s start the steak. Where’s the button?”

“Right here.”

“Well, push it.”

“Me? You offered to cook dinner. Where’s that Girl Scout spirit you were boasting about?”

“Ben Caxton, I will lie right here in the grass and starve before I will get up to push a button that is six inches from your right forefinger.”

“As you wish.” He pressed the button to tell the stove to carry out its pre-set orders. “But don’t forget who cooked dinner. Now about Valentine Michael Smith. In the first place there is grave doubt as to his right to the name ‘Smith.’”

“Repeat, please?”

“Honey, your pal appears to be the first interplanetary bastard on record. I mean ‘love child.’”

“The hell you say!”

“Please be more ladylike in your speech. Do you remember anything about the crew of the Envoy? Never mind, I’ll hit the high points. Eight people, four married couples. Two couples were Captain and Mrs. Brant, Doctor and Mrs. Smith. Your friend with the face of an angel appears to be the son of Mrs. Smith by Captain Brant.”

“How do they know? And, anyhow, who cares?” Jill sat up and said indignantly, “It’s a pretty snivelin’ thing to dig up a scandal after all this time. They’re all dead—let ’em alone, I say!”