"They—or what sent them. They know what they are doing."
"You mean they must have done this before?"
"I think so. That L-B back there—it made a good landing, and there are supplies missing from its lockers."
"Which you removed—" Rynch countered.
"No. There might have been real castaways landed here. Not that we found any trace of them. Now I can guess why—"
"But you Guild men were here, and you didn't run into this!"
"I know." Hume sounded baffled. "Not a sign then."
Rynch threw the last of his stones, heard it clink harmlessly against a rock. Hume balanced an object on the palm of his hand.
"Last flare!"
"What's that? Over there?"