"You are a handsome brute," she said softly. "I could easily...."
Onin grinned at Jay sardonically and winked. Jay shifted uncomfortably. Her hand dropped and she pushed at his naked chest.
"Back to the ship!" Her voice snapped crisply as she led the way.
They reached the ship without incident and dumped their loads in the kreth-patched airlock that served as a warehouse. Then the two animats went along a dripping short corridor past the humans' cabin to their own quarters.
The other four androids were lying on dank heaps of nik-nik brush half-asleep. Two of them were huge-chested, brutal-featured animats, patterned after the sturdy peasant stock of Earth; the others were pale-eyed, sharp-nosed little men. One of the little animats sat up.
"I am awake," he said, his high nasal voice carrying a note of hysteria. "The hum that hurts my head is gone. I can think."
Jay looked at Onin and nodded. "Dampness must have finished the cells. Maybe a short circuit."
"They'll all be like this shortly," Onin agreed.
Jay released the battery case's cover and snapped out the compact square batteries. The sharp-nosed animat, D601, scrubbed filthy fingers across his chin. His pale eyes darted furtively around the ruined cabin.