“VENUS BOYS RARED UP and served notice that if Earth ever got any funny notions, right away there wouldn’t be enough Earth left to hide in an atom’s eyebrow. Touchy as hornets on a hot griddle, them Venus guys. Crazier than bed bugs about war. Could smell a loose dollar a million light years away too. Finagled around until they finally cooked up a deal.
“No Venus dames allowed within fifty miles of their port. Earth guys stay inside the high-voltage fence. Any dame caught trying to leave Venus thrown to the tigers for supper. Same for any Earth guy caught around a Venus dame. In return, Earth could buy practically everything at bargain basement prices.”
“Oh, I was shown the history films in pre-flight,” O’Rielly said, still dreamily. “But not a peek of any Venus dame.”
“Pray heaven you’
