«Of course.»

«Get rid of the client.»

Madame Alexandra Vesant showed no annoyance. «Just a moment.» Her features faded out, were replaced by the «Hold» signal. A man entered and stood by Mrs. Douglas's desk; she saw that it was James Sanforth, the press agent she had sent for.

«Have you heard from Berquist?» she demanded.

«Eh? I wasn't handling that; that's McCrary's pidgin.»

She brushed it aside. «You've got to discredit him before he talks.»

«You think Berquist sold us out?»

«Don't be naive. You should have checked with me before you used him.»

«But I didn't. It was McCrary's job.»

«You are supposed to know what is going on. I — » Madame Vesant's face came back on screen. «Wait over there,» Mrs. Douglas said to Sanforth. She turned to the screen. «Allie dear, I want fresh horoscopes for Joseph and myself, right away.»

«Very well.» The astrologer hesitated. «I can be of greater assistance, dear, if you tell me the nature of the emergency.»

Mrs. Douglas drummed on the desk. «You don't have to know?»

«Of course not. Anyone possessing the necessary rigorous training, mathematical skill, and knowledge of the stars could calculate a horoscope, knowing nothing but the hour and place of birth of the subject. You could learn it … if you weren't so terribly busy. But remember: the stars incline but do not compel. If I am to make a detailed analysis to advise you in a crisis, I must know in what sector to look. Are we most concerned with the influence of Venus? Or possibly with Mars? Or — »

Mrs. Douglas decided. «With Mars,» she interrupted. «Allie, I want a third horoscope.»

«Very well. Whose?»

«Uh … Allie, can I trust you?»

Madame Vesant looked hurt. «Agnes, if you do not trust me, you had best not consult me. Others can give you scientific readings. I am not the only student of the ancient knowledge. Professor von Krausemeyer is well thought of, even though he is inclined to …» She let her voice trail off.

«Please, please! I wouldn't think of letting anyone else perform a calculation for me. Now listen. No one can hear from your side?»

«Of course not, dear.»

«I want a horoscope for Valentine Michael Smith.»

«“Valentine Mich — ” The Man from Mars?»

«Yes, yes. Allie, he's been kidnapped. We've got to find him.»

Two hours later Madame Alexandra Vesant pushed back from her desk and sighed. She had had her secretary cancel all appointments; sheets covered with diagrams and figures and a dog-eared nautical almanac testified to her efforts. Alexandra Vesant differed from some astrologers in that she did attempt to calculate the «influences» of heavenly bodies, using a paper-backed book titled The Arcane Science of Judicial Astrology and Key to Solomon's Stone which had belonged to her late husband, Professor Simon Magus, mentalist, stage hypnotist and illusionist, and student of the Arcanum.

She trusted the book as she had trusted him; there was no one who could cast a horoscope like Simon, when he was sober — half the time he had not needed the book. She knew that she would never have that degree of skill; she always used both almanac and manual. Her calculations were sometimes fuzzy; Becky Vesey (as she had been known) had never really mastered multiplication tables and was inclined to confuse sev ens with nines.

Nevertheless her horoscopes were eminently satisfactory; Mrs. Douglas was not her only distinguished client.

She had been a touch panicky when Mrs. Douglas demanded a horoscope for the Man from Mars — she had felt the way she used to feel when some idiot from the audience had retied her blindfold just before the Professor was to ask her questions. But she had discovered 'way back then, as a girl, that she had talent for the right answer; she had suppressed her panic and gone on with the show.

So she had demanded of Agnes the exact hour, date, and place of birth of the Man from Mars, being fairly sure that they were not known.

But precise information had been supplied, after short delay, from the Envoy's log. By then she was not panicky, had simply accepted the data and promised to call back with the horoscopes.

But, after two hours of painful arithmetic, although she had completed findings for Mr. and Mrs. Douglas, she had nothing for Smith. The trouble was simple — and insuperable. Smith had not been born on Earth.

Her astrological bible did not include such an idea; its anonymous author had died before the first rocket to the Moon. She had tried to find a way out of the dilemma, on the assumption that principles were unchanged and that she must correct for displacement. But she grew lost in a maze of unfamiliar relationships; she was not sure the signs of the Zodiac were the same from Mars … and what could one do without signs of the Zodiac?

She could as easily have extracted a cube root, that being the hurdle that had caused her to quit school.

She got out a tonic she kept for difficult occasions. She took one dose quickly, poured another, and thought about what Simon would have done. Presently she could hear his steady tones: «Confidence, kiddo! Have confidence and the yokels will have confidence in you. You owe to them.»

She felt much better and started writing the horoscopes for the Douglas's. It then turned out to be easy to write one for Smith; she found, as always, that words on paper proved themselves — they were so beautifully true! She was finishing as Agnes Douglas called again. «Allie? Haven't you finished?»

«Just completed,» Madame Vesant answered briskly. «You realize that young Smith's horoscope presented an unusual and difficult problem in the Science. Born, as he was, on another planet, every aspect had to be recalculated. The influence of the Sun is lessened; that of Diana is almost missing. Jupiter is thrown into a novel, I should say “unique,” aspect, as I am sure you see. This required computation of — »

«Allie! Never mind that. Do you know the answers?»

«Naturally.»

«Oh, thanks goodness! I thought you were telling me that it was too much for you.»

Madame Vesant showed injured dignity. «My dear, the Science never alters; only configurations alter. The means that predicted the instant and place of the birth of Christ, that told Julius Caesar the moment and method of his death … how could it fail? Truth is Truth, unchanging.»

«Yes, of course.»

«Are you ready?»

«Let me switch on “recording” — go ahead.»

«Very well. Agnes, this is a most critical period in your life; never have the heavens gathered in such strong configuration. Above all, you must be calm, not hasty, and think things through. On the whole the portents are in your favor … provided you avoid ill-considered action. Do not let your mind be distressed by surface appearances — » She went on giving advice. Becky Vesey always gave good advice and gave it with conviction because she believed it. She had learned from Simon that, even when the stars seemed darkest, there was always a way to soften the blow, some aspect the client could use toward happiness …

The tense face opposite her in the screen calmed and began nodding agreement as she made her points. «So you see,» she concluded, «the absence of young Smith is a necessity, under the joint influences of three horoscopes. Do not worry; he will return — or you will hear from him — very shortly. The important thing is to take no drastic action. Be calm.»

«Yes, I see.»

«One more point. The aspect of Venus is most favorable and potentially dominant over that of Mars. Venus symbolizes yourself, of course, but Mars is both your husband and young Smith — as a result of the unique circumstances of his birth. This throws a double burden on you and you must rise to the challenge; you must demonstrate those qualities calm wisdom and restraint which are peculiarly those of woman. You must sustain your husband, guide him through this crisis, and soothe him. You must supply the earth-mother's calm wells of wisdom. That is your special genius … you must use it.»