The cadets had climbed down into the pit to watch, talking in high spirits about the prospects of putting the jeep back into commission and jetting out
again, until the Venerian in charge of the work had urged them emphatically to go up out of the pit and stay out of the way. They joined the city mother and waited.
"Ask her how she expects to get it up out of there, Oz," Tex suggested. Oscar did so.
"Tell thy impatient daughter to chase her fish and I will chase mine."
"No need for her to be rude about it," Tex complained. "What did she say?" inquired the mother-of-many.
" 'She' thanks thee for the lesson," Oscar prevaricated. The Little People worked rapidly. It was evident that the ship would be entirely free before the day was far advanced-and clean as well; the outside shone now and a steady procession of them had been pouring in and out of the door of the ship, bearing cakes of jellied mud. In the last hour the routine had changed; the little workers came out bearing distended bladders. The clean-up squad was J at work. f
Oscar watched them approvingly. "I told you they would 3 lick it clean." :'
Matt looked thoughtful. "I'm worried, Oz, about the possibility that they will mess with something on the control board and get into trouble."
"Why? The leads are all sealed away. They can't hurt anything. You locked the board when you left it, didn't you?"
"Yes, of course."'