“Supposing they realize they hurt you, and could think of a way to transmit the apology. I won’t refuse an extra nugget or two if they choose to send them, but that won’t be very informative.”
“I suppose that’s so. Well, anyway, I’m going to go over the whole neighborhood of where I saw it and where you do your trading, by daylight. If they’ve made any other landings in the woods, I’ll find ‘em — that one broke a lot of branches, and left a dent in the ground the shape of the torpedo.”
If you think it’s worth doing,” remarked Don. “Why should they have landed in this neighborhood? Earth’s a pretty big place.”
“They did once, and I bet I know why!” retorted Roger. “That transmitter is right here! If you were exploring a new world or a new country even, would you make one landing here and another five hundred miles away? You would not. You’d get to know one neighborhood first, and plant an outpost, and then spread out from there.”
There was silence for two or three minutes while the others absorbed this.
“You’re assuming, then,” said Mr. Wing at last, “that after twenty years of mere trading, they suddenly are starting to explore? Why didn’t they do it sooner?”
“Unfair question.”
“True enough. All right, it’s certainly a usable working hypothesis. You may go ahead with your exploring — so may Edie if she wants. I’m not sold enough on your idea to spend the effort myself, but in a day or two I’ll signal for another torpedo. That will give you time to do any looking you want, I suppose?”
“Well—” Roger’s recent mapping activities had given him a much clearer idea than he had formerly held just what the examining of one square mile meant. “We can look around a bit, anyway. I’m going right now, if no one has any real ideas. Coming, Edie? The girl stood up silently, and followed him back to the house. Their father watched them go with some amusement.
“I wish I didn’t have a nagging worry about Rog’s theory,” he said suddenly to Donald. “He might just be right — these creatures might be tired of paying for tobacco and they certainly know more of physical science than we do.”