A scaly head popped up beside him. Water snake!
Impulsively, Rusty struck out with his fist.
The head disappeared, came to the surface again a short distance away.
It was not a snake. It was a Venusian—the Venusian.
He looked at Rusty and scowled, if a fish can scowl. Rusty stared, unbelieving. He had appeared so quietly the others had not turned. Where could he have come from? How could he have escaped the thing in the jungle?
"How did you get here!"
"Why do you strike at me, Earthman!"
Rusty uselessly attempted to explain. They could never understand Earthian reactions. Rusty hated the green creatures.
The Venusian sneered, swam silently to the others.
"Well!" said Spike, with his usual calm. "We didn't expect to see you again! What happened?"