"And if these Earthmen are nearby?" Ullo asked.
"Then Zoya must forget the base and escape with the ship, which is the main thing."
"But if they have already found it?" inquired Zoya.
"All right, all right! Then destroy it! And you had better start immediately unless you wish to find such action necessary. Somehow,"—here one eyestalk was deflected rather pointedly toward Ullo—"somehow, too many mouths always speed up the clocks."
Ullo did a little neck-swelling himself at this example of bias.
Just because he couldn't get my job for his youngest brother, he thought resentfully. Serve him right if I'd resigned! Where'd he be if I didn't stick here to push his snout into the obvious every time he slides over it?
"Yes," repeated Ahnu, complacent at having found his solution, "that is what you must do. If anything goes wrong, you can still use your rocket to return to your base."
"Which I hope," sighed Zoya, "to find undisturbed."
At that, Ahnu fell silent. After a tense moment, he heaved himself around to direct both eyestalks at Ullo.