"Call Downing and ask him how long?"
"Calling Stellor Downing—"
"On the roger," answered Downing, grabbing a phone from its rack on a catwalk.
"How much more greasing are you going to give that mecanno set?" asked Cliff.
"Oh, any time you're ready, we are."
"I know but—"
"Until the bell rings, we'll sort of pick curls of dust out of the bearings, put a drop of oil here and there, and see that the stuff is shiny—and as slippery as the devil."
The operator plugged into a ringing line. "Lane," he called after listening, "the crew just dropped the drone."
"Get the detector gang and tell 'em."
The operator unplugged and shoved the plug into another jack. He spoke, and listened for several minutes.