"Without a plan of action?" Keith said.
"No. Our plan is the same. Find out all we can and return to Earth. Seers has to know. He doesn't want to prepare a secret attack unit to send up here unless he's absolutely sure it's necessary."
"Even if we live long enough to find out something, how do we get back to Earth? By teleportation?"
"We'll have to get a ship, or try," Danton said.
The sound of explosions drifted to them, the flat reverberating roar of bombs. Van Ness looked to the right and said, "That way. And not so far either."
Ten miles from the lake, the three crawled into the dense brush beside the trail. They could hear now the approach of laboring gasoline motors, the shouts of men. Danton waited. He waited tensely, as though somewhere inside of him was a knowledge of what he waited for.
The moons moved across the high valley. The light was clear, still, with a reddish cast. Purple shadows bent and swayed in the slight and cooler wind. Through the odd light, a column of wheezing amtracs came. Broad wheels grinding, coughing engines, voices murmuring, bodies wearily slogging, humans, weary ghosts.
Van Ness whispered, "Looks as though they're in retreat."
Danton nodded. Van Ness said, "The wounded, the dead and the dying. I guess you could say we've come home again."