"I fail to see," replied Zoya, "in what manner I could have avoided it, Great One. The natives, Earthmen in their own speech, have just discovered an inefficient form of our own interstellar subspace drive. They have gone exploring."
Might have known it, thought Ullo. Just when I'm working up to a top rank, too!
It sounded bad. Should they be unable to think Zoya out of his predicament, it might well mean new personnel all around. Ullo's only satisfaction was that Ahnu's relatives would be discharged before his own resignation was given him to sign.
Ahnu controlled himself.
"Give me a picture of your situation!" he commanded.
"To begin with, Great One, I chose to study the natives from a distance, as is usual. I left my subspace ship on the largest satellite of their sixth planet, which has several other moons and a beautiful set of rings that—"
"Kindly touch bottom!" Ahnu cut him off. "I am not interested in a local travelogue!"
"Even so, Great One. With my short-range rocket, I then established this base on the seventh moon of their fifth planet. Only this moon's smallness and insignificance has so far prevented by discovery."
They listened to the rest of the story in an uncomfortable silence that was broken only by an occasional squishing of mud as one or another stirred uneasily.
Zoya Lar-Tul had observed the Earthmen, as well as other bodies in the system, for a quarter-revolution of his chosen fifth planet. At the time of his arrival, the natives had reached their own satellite, but he judged that they would be long in organizing successful flights to the planets.