They were the first back. All three were sticky from the heat, and somewhat insect bitten. By unanimous consent they headed for the showers.
Rick dressed except for his shoes, then stretched out on his bed. He wondered what the day's work would show. The memory of the earthquake was still fresh, and he was anxious to see if it had come from rising magma far below, or from some other source. He had a mental image of white-hot rock rising sluggishly, melting a path to the surface. Now and then the magma struck water, or gas-producing minerals, and then there was a tightly held explosion that made the earth shudder.
Well, it was probably like that, from what he had read about volcanic action. Anyway, he could do without earthquakes. They were unnerving.
Scotty finished dressing, and Rick slipped on his shoes. It was time for the others to be back. Connel should have arrived only a few minutes behind them, but it would take longer for the others because they had gone around the mountain in the other direction.
The boys walked to the staff conference room and found Hartson Brant and Julius Weiss. The two were busy unrolling long strips of paper covered with blue shadings.
"Find anything yet?" Rick asked his father.
"No. We're just getting ready to take a look. How did it go?"
"No trouble. Zircon must still be in the shower. Probably Connel is, too. He must have been right behind us."
The scientists started poring over the traces.
"Here's your first shot," Hartson Brant said. He pointed to where a series of squiggles began. Rick could see nothing of interest. All the pen marks looked about the same to him. It would take expert analysis to make anything out of them.