The word, "Hank," rang through Johnson's mind like a bell. Very few people knew Martin's nickname. He was very sensitive about this name, it was his most carefully guarded secret, known only to friends intimate enough not to use it. If Vee Vee knew Martin's carefully guarded name.
"Oh, hell!" Something inside Johnson said. "Damn!"
He glanced at the two, to make certain of what he was seeing out of the corners of his eyes. The instant after he shifted his gaze he knew it was not the thing to do. He swung quickly back to look at Unger.
The circle of light was empty.
Unger had vanished.
In the silence, Johnson could hear Venusian feet drawing closer, the soft rustle of knives being pulled from scabbards.
IV
Johnson stood without moving and stared at the empty circle of light.
His eyes insisted. "He is not there. We looked away for a moment and when we looked back he was gone."