The address of the contact man was given. I asked Argol Beg why he had not arrested Marjud. But Marjud's man had set up in the Colonial Quarter, where Argol Beg had no authority, and he was not wanted by the Earth colonial police.
"Come on," I said to Harry. "Let's see if we can locate the old gargoyle." Harry was pretty worried by this time, and he didn't half understand what was going on, not knowing Venus.
"I'm with you, whatever you say," he said.
We visited the address given in the ad, and got to talk to a normal-appearing native with slit eyes and a fishy stare. He said that Marjud saw only Terran females, and he couldn't help us.
I persuaded him to change his mind in a few minutes, and then he told us that Marjud was staying in a dhol cave outside the city. The dhol caves were made by a long-dead, semi-intelligent race of quadrupeds, and it wasn't uncommon for the none-too-particular Venusians to set up housekeeping in them.
There was a guard hanging around the entrance to this one. The contact man pointed out the guard and fled. The guard argued and I had to slug him with the butt of my gun. Harry went over and looked at him.
He turned to me and his face was clammy white. It was one of the equatorial species.
"What's the matter?" I said.
"What is it?"
I told him. "Marjud is worse," I said.