The house, a long narrow building running east and west, had a verandah extending its full length on the south side and was windowless on the north, the side from which the prevailing warm winds came and the occasional hot blasts from the equatorial regions. Lodas led me into a large central room that was a combination living room, dining room, and kitchen. In addition to a huge fireplace there was a large clay oven, the former necessitated during the winter months when the colder winds came from the antarctic.

At the door of the room Lodas sent the women away, saying that he wished to speak with me alone. He seemed nervous and fearful; and when we were alone he drew me to a bench in a far corner of the room and sat close to me, whispering in my ear.

"This is bad business," he said. "There are spies everywhere. Perhaps some of the men working for me were sent by Mephis. He has spies spying upon everyone and spies spying upon spies. Already rumors have come from Amlot of a strange thing that flies through the air dropping death and fire upon the forces of Mephis. At once my workers will know that it is this thing that you came in. They will be suspicious; they will talk; if there is a spy among them he will get word to Mephis, and that will be the end of me. What am I to do?"

"What did the message tell you to do?" I asked.

"It told me to get you into Amlot; that was all."

"Are you going to do it?"

"I would do anything for Kord, my jong," he said simply. "Yes, I shall do it; but I shall probably die for it."

"Perhaps we can work out a plan," I suggested. "If there is a spy here or if your men talk too much, it will be as bad for me as for you. Is there any place near here where I could hide my ship--some place that it would be reasonably safe?"

"If Mephis hears of it, it will not be safe here," said Lodas, and I appreciated the truth of his statement. He thought for a moment; then he shook his head. "The only place that I can think of is an island off the coast just south of us."

"What sort of an island?" I asked. "Any clear, level land on it?"

"Oh, yes; it is a very flat island. It is covered with grass. No one lives there. It is seldom that anyone goes there-- never since the revolution."

"How far off shore is it?"

"It lies very close. I row to it in a few minutes."

"You row to it? You have a boat?"

"Yes, once a year we row over to pick the berries that grow there. The women make jam of them that lasts all the rest of the year."

"Fine!" I exclaimed. "Now I have a plan that will remove all suspicion from you. Listen." For ten minutes I talked, explaining every detail of my scheme. Occasionally Lodas slapped his knee and laughed. He was hugely pleased and relieved. Lodas was a big, simple, good-natured fellow. One couldn't help but like and trust him. I didn't want to get him in any trouble, on his own account; and, too, I knew that any trouble I got him into I would have to share.

We decided to put my plan into execution immediately, so we left the house; and as we passed the women, Lodas spoke to me angrily.

"Get off my farm!" he cried. "I'll have nothing to do with you."

We went at once to the ship and cast off the ropes; then I taxied it out toward the field where I had landed.