Crane had not taken his eyes off the Jovian and Saturnian. Jurk Usk sat in the same surly, unmoved silence, but Crane thought that the Saturnian was under tension, that something lurked behind those pale, big-pupiled eyes. Was Kin Nilga his man?
"I was a little afraid to come alone on this trip, but now-" The girl's voice broke off as a scream of awful agony ripped the gay chatter of the saloon and froze everyone into horrified silence.
The scream came from the throat of the drunken young Earthman who had been eating the orchid. The man's lax handsome face was contorted now in agony, his eyes protruding, his body arched half out of his chair, his hands clawing the air.
Another ghastly shriek bubbled from his throat into the frozen silence. Then he crashed down across the table.
Diners sprang to their feet, shouting hoarsely. Stewards and officers came running toward the table. Rab Crane bent swiftly over the young man's body, sniffed at the strange odor that rose from his lips.
Crane straightened, reached for the salt-cellar on the table, sniffed it. His tablemates watched frozenly.
"He's dead — poisoned!" Crane said, finally.
As an officer stooped to lift the body, "Don't touch him with your bare hands!" Crane cried.
For the body of the poisoned man was beginning to glow faintly, his face giving off a feeble, eerie white light!
"Gods of Mars!" cried little Kark Al horrifiedly. "Look at that body — look-"