"No maybe! You know it's true!"
"Or, maybe not," Dane went on, with no heed to Nelva's interruption. "It might even be Security won't pay the first bit of attention to it." He shot a sidelong glance at the girl. "Would you like to ask me why?"
A moment of obvious, barely-repressed fury. Then: "Why?"
"Because not even a Kalquoi agent would be fool enough to try to get clear of Mars in a four-place carrier." Dane leaned back; stretched. "No; Security's not going to be looking up here for us. Not when they've got all those landing-platforms down below to cover."
It did him good to see the way Nelva's jaw slackened.
"Of course," he observed wryly, "that opens up another question, too, doesn't it?"
"Another question—?"
"Yes, you know: the question about how you and I are going to get to Callisto."
The last of the anger-lines vanished from Nelva's lovely face. Her lips parted, breathless with interest. "Tell me, Clark! Have you really devised a way to do it?"
"I think so." Dane paused, letting the moment's tension build up. And then: "Only of course that's no sign I'll tell you about it and give you a chance to sour it."