midday
Reaching back into the launch and pulling out a paralo-ray gun , he strapped its reassuring bulk to his side and stepped toward the building that was obviously the main house . Nothing else moved in the hot noon sun . As he strode purposefully toward the house , eyes alert for any sign of life , he thought for a moment everyone might be taking a midday nap . Many of the Venusian colonists adapted the age-old custom of the tropics to escape the intense heat of midday . But he dismissed the thought immediately , realizing that his approach in the jet would have awakened the deepest of sleepers . Entering the house , he stopped in the spacious front hall and called : `` Hello ! Anybody home ?