“I am now using my own language.  If I make any mistakes, you must not blame the machine.  It is as nearly perfect as I was able to make it.”

He then asked them what blunders they noted.  Billie, who was the most enthusiastic about the thing, declared that they would have no trouble in understanding; whereupon Estra quietly asked: 

“Do you feel like going now to try them out?”

Once more an exchange of glances between the four from the earth.  Clearly the Venusians were extremely considerate people, to leave their visitors in the care of the one man, apparently, who was able to make them feel at home.  There seemed to be no reason for uneasiness.

But Van Emmon still had his old misgivings about Estra.  There was something about the effeminate Venusian which irritated the big geologist; it always does make a strong man suspicious to see a weaker one show such self-confidence.  Van Emmon drew the doctor and Billie aside, while Smith and Estra went on with the test.  Said Van Emmon: 

“It just occurred to me that the cube might look pretty good to these people.  You remember what this chap said about their lack of some of our chemicals.  What do you think—­is it really safe to put ourselves entirely in their power?”

“You mean,” said the doctor slowly, “that they might try to keep us here rather than lose the cube?”

Van Emmon nodded gravely, but Billie had strong objections.  “Estra doesn’t look like that sort,” she declared vehemently.

“He’s too good natured to be a crook; he needs a guardian rather than a warden.”

It flashed into the doctor’s mind that many a woman had fallen in love with a man merely because he seemed to be in need of some one to take care of him.

That is, the self-reliant kind of woman; and Billie certainly was self-reliant.  Something of the same notion came vaguely to the geologist at the same time; and with a vigor that was quite uncalled for, he urged: 

“I say, ‘safety first.’  We shouldn’t have left the cube unguarded.  I propose that one of us, at least, return to the surface while the others attend this meeting—­or trap, for all we know.”

“All right,” said Billie promptly.  “Get Estra to show you how to use the elevator, and wait for us in the vestibule.”

Van Emmon’s face flamed.  “That isn’t what I meant!” hotly.  “If anybody goes to the cube, it should be you, Billie!”

If Billie did not notice the use of her nickname, at least the doctor did.  The girl simply snorted.

“If you think for one second that I’m going to back out just because I’m a woman, let me tell you that you’re very badly mistaken!”

Van Emmon turned to the doctor appealingly, but the doctor took the action personally.  He shook his head.  “I wouldn’t miss this for anything, Van.  Estra looks safe to me.  Go and ask Smith; maybe he is willing to be the goat.”