"Control to Scout Three. Roger on the presumed alien. Lieutenant. I knew that civilian with you would get you into trouble."
"Well, it wasn't exactly the fault of—"
"Enough. Bear away from the base until certain you are not being followed."
While one of them played with the moving color spots on the panel, the other twisted a knob, and all segments of the outside became successively visible in a viewer.
"Scout Three to Control. Nothing in sight."
"Very well. The orders are to stay there until dark, after which you may return."
"But that's two hundred hours away," the other savage hissed. "We don't have enough oxygen."
"You'll just have to work it out somehow," the panel replied coldly. "We can't endanger the whole military base for one useless civilian biologist."
This was a fascinating exchange to Tensor, as he puzzled out the curious relationships and their purposes. He floated near the ceiling, listening, face set in civilized impassivity.
One of the creatures grumbled, leaned back and swung around in its chair. It jerked erect when it saw the man at the ceiling.