"Exactly!" said Ahnu, taking to the idea. "Then just drop out of sight some fine day and leave them wondering which way you went."
At this point, Viri made bold to request that Zoya leave the televisor at the base operating, with a continuous view of the main chamber as now shown. He began to explain that he wanted to be sure not to lose contact, but Ahnu had heard enough. He cut Viri short by climbing out of his mud tub.
"That settles it then," he summed up to Zoya. "If you are forced to destroy the subspace ship, report from the base when you return and are ready to contact the natives. Otherwise, report from the ship!"
He waddled out of the communications chamber without ceremony, followed by Ullo Dah-Gow.
The next day, the latter was kept busy with the many reports of arid planets he had to file in order to justify the expenses of exploration.
He always leaves explaining the budget to me, he thought.
He did, however, snatch time to put a copy tape of the last installment of Zoya's preliminary report on the speaker, having felt ill at ease for not being completely up to date at the previous evening's conference.
Halfway through a listing of sociological and psychological observations, Ullo stiffened. He ran the tape through again.
"He'd better get to that ship!" he wheezed to himself. "They sound like a nest of trouble-makers—resourceful, aggressive, just the sort to burst into this system some sweet day and tell us Yaradir is their colony!"