"Anyhow, they can't fire the jet when she's in that attitude even if you hadn't."
"That's true. Still, I'm worried."
"Well, let's take a look, then. I want to talk to the fore- '. man in any case. I've got an idea."
"What idea?" asked Tex.
"Maybe they can get her upright in the pit. It seems to me we could take off from there and never have to drag j her out. Might save several days." They went down the| ramp and located the Venerian in charge, then Matt and 1 Tex went inside the ship while Oscar stayed to talk over his idea.
It was hard to believe that the pilot room had lately; been choked with filthy, yellow mud. A few amphibians'
were still working in the after end of the room; elsewhere the compartment was clean.
Matt climbed to the pilot's seat and started inspecting. He noticed first that the sponge-rubber eyeguards for the infrared viewer were missing. This was not important, but he wondered what had happened to them-did the little folk have the vice of souvenir snitching? He filed away the suspicion, and attempted a dry run on the controls, without firing the jet.
Nothing operated-nothing at all.
He looked the board over more carefully. To a casual inspection it was clean, bright, in perfect order, but he now perceived many little pits and specks. He dug at one with a fingernail, something came away. He worked at