“And so it never has been solid, and won’t be for millions of years. . . . Oh, Damn! Well, thanks, chief, a lot.”
Then, as the Lensman signed off: “Joan, that puts us deeper in the dark than ever. We had twice too many unknowns and only half enough knowns before, and this really tears it. Well, it was a very nice theory while it lasted.”
“It’s still a very nice theory, Storm.”
“Huh? How do you figure that?”
“I don’t have to figure it. Listen! First, that point is significant, with a probability greater than point nine nine nine. Second, no other point in space has a probability as great as point zero zero one. Whoever or whatever was—is—there, the Survey ship missed. We’ve got to go there ourselves, Storm. We simply must.”
“ ‘Was’ is probably right. Whatever used to be there is gone . . . but that doesn’t make sense, either . . . that planet has never been solid, Joan. . . .” Cloud got up and began to pace the floor. “Dammit, Joan, nothing can live on a planet like that.”
“Life as we know it, no.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Only that I am trying to keep an open mind. We simply haven’t enough data.”
“Do you think you and I have got jets enough to find data that the Patrol’s best experts missed?”