The Man on the Meteor by Ray Cummings

Maaret's voice when she spoke was low, cautious. We listened to her swift words, our hearts pounding with sudden hope. She said she had come to save us! Her motive was clear, we already understood it. Yet she told us it, briefly, and with a direct simplicity that carried the conviction of truth.

Since Og had returned from living in Rax (after his combat with me) Maaret had belonged to him. She loved him. Then had come this woman Nona. Maaret's gaze swept my poor innocent Nona with hatred. This woman Nona, she said, had (with her strange, uncanny looks which Og thought were beauty) won Og from her.

In brief, Maaret wished only that we all-with Nona-return to Rax. Then perhaps she could make Og love her again. Our escape, taking Nona with us, was all she desired.

"Or the death of all of us," Caan suggested. And his look to me was significant.

Maaret gestured vehemently. "That, of course," she admitted frankly. "The black fishes I would set upon you now. But your screams would bring Og. You would not die. I should lose him by that way."

She seemed indeed sincere. She said she could command the black fishes. She would take them away-lock them up. And then we could escape. But we must hurry. It was already the Time of Sleep. At any moment Og would be here.

We consulted; Maaret swam to the mouth of the passageway and gazed anxiously into it.

"Can we trust her? " Caan demanded. "Will she not let us start, perhaps, and then set the black fishes upon us?"

It was possible; and yet we had to trust her.

Atar called her back. "Which way do we go? We will get lost, girl. Will you go with us, until we get to open water?"

She would not. If Og knew what she had done he would kill her. But we could easily find our way. This tunnel led into the main cave. Everyone there would be asleep at this hour. We could slip unnoticed across the cave, up to that ledge and into that other tunnel which was familiar to us. From there we knew our way-through the shallow coral barrier, and up into the open Water of Wild Things.

"A monster may be there at the tunnel entrance," I suggested.

She admitted it, but of that we had to take our chance.

"The girl speaks truth," Atar said suddenly. "I like her. I believe her."

Maaret's smile answered him, but her worried gaze was still on the passageway by which at any moment now Og might arrive.

"We must go," agreed Nona. And then she startled us all. She swam to Maaret.

"You are good," she said. "I would not harm you."

But Maaret shrank away. "You take my Og."

"I do not want your Og."

We were all so relieved at the turn affairs had taken that we found ourselves smiling.