"Nick, they're a doomed race. In the year Dad and I've been here we have seen only two Martian children."
"But Klev?"
"Yeast. Just plain yeast. I'd brought one package in the Trailblazer, for cooking. But there is no more yeast on Mars."
"About the water?" Nick asked. "How come your father didn't tell Harmon about that? Colonel Hammer had us drilling all over the planet."
"Luck," Susan replied seriously. "We didn't know where it was ourselves until after we came back from Earth, after we learned more of their language."
"But all our drilling," Nick protested. "Surely at least one—"
"Twice, at least. But each time the water-voras pumped it to other caves. Martians don't drink, but they saw the Exploiters shipping water clear from Earth and realized its importance. We, and they, hoped the Exploiters would eventually give up and leave. Oh, if only Dad had told Harmon that Mars was completely arid!"
Nick got up and prowled restlessly around the room.
"Are they going to starve us?" he asked petulantly. His emergency rations were in his jacket, which Merlo had kept.
"Oh, no." Susan realized she was hungry too. "There's food here."