"So?"
"And if they're as nasty as the Little Man claims, they'll be here with all of their nastiness."
"All right," snapped Lane. "We've got detectors and analyzers, haven't we?"
"Uh-huh. But we're a long way from home base. What we've got we've got to keep—and use. They can toss the book at us and go home for another library. Follow?"
"Yup. Located a planet yet?"
"Haven't you been paying attention?"
"No. You're in the lead. I'm merely following as best I can."
"Then sharp up. We're heading for the innermost planet now."
"Go ahead—we'll go in to see. Then Lane and I will scout the sky above to keep off the incoming bunch, if any," said Thompson.
It was an armed watch. Downing's flight landed and set up the solar collectors. From the ships there came a group of planet-mounted modines which had little to offer over the turrets in the ships save adding to their numbers.