 What were the lights Lowry saw in the dark?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Winter 1944. Four or five generations ago they were. "Acclimation," Lowry said scientifically. "They had to acclimate themselves to Venus's climate. He stared at the wooden shacks that were the outskirts of the native city, dimly visible through the ever-present Venusian mist. The native guard of honor, posted a hundred yards from the Earth-ship, stood stolidly at attention with their old-fashioned proton-rifles slung over their backs. A few natives were gazing wonderingly at the great ship, but made no move to pass the line of guards. "Of course," Lowry said suddenly, "there's a minority who are afraid of us. They think there will be hordes of immigrants from Earth, now that we know Venus is habitable. And there's some sort of a paltry underground group that is spreading the word that the immigrants will drive the native Venusians—the descendants of the first expedition, that is—right down into the mud. Sure enough, it was glowing red—might have been glowing for minutes. But even while he was giving orders, the warning light flickered suddenly and went out. "From their own mouths you have heard it. Therefore, it must not return." The Councilmen could not come to the city and see what strength the Earth-ship has." He reached to a box at his feet, held up a shiny metal globe. It will be set by means of this dial—" he touched a spot on the surface of the globe with a pallid finger—"to do nothing for forty hours. Atomite." There will be danger, I think...." It had held Venus-tobacco cigarettes; there were a few left. "We will go, all six of us, in my ground car, to look at the Earth-ship. It is almost dusk now. There will be commotion—that is easy enough, after all; a hysterical woman, a few screams, that's all there is to it. And the sixth person will have his chance to steal to the side of the ship. It will not be noticed in the dark—they will take off before sunrise, because they must travel away from the sun to return—in forty hours the danger is removed." Instinctively they had opened the slip, turned it over and over, striving to detect if it was the fatal one. Svan waited impatiently for the chosen one to announce it—a second, ten seconds....
 Svan and his conspirators
 Svan and his conspirators  The guards  The delegation  Another spy-ray