Miss Tweedham clutched the bum-bum gun and listened to the sound of her own heart. Beside her, Big Marie leaned against the wall in nonchalant ease. On the other side of her, Sanderson and the Martian L'Sor whispered quietly.
"Is that Martian all right?" Miss Tweedham said to Big Marie.
"If he ain't, we're in the soup."
"But how do we know?"
"We don't. John Sanderson trusts him. That's enough for me. And anyhow, if it hadn't been for L'Sor, we would never have learned enough about the esse to stand a chance against it."
Miss Tweedham made choking sounds as a vision of the doll came up before her eyes so real she could see it all over again.
On the horizon a light appeared. Deimos rising. It was not an impressive sight. Outlined against the arc lights of the stars, Deimos hung in the sky like a glow worm at the Feast of the Lanterns.
"The door, L'Sor," Sanderson said.
The Martian inserted a key in the slot. The door opened into a courtyard. The four passed through.
"Big Marie, you and Miss Tweedham are to stay here and guard this door. L'Sor and I will be returning this way."