"Of course. Don't worry, I'll see that they remember it, Lorine."
Her eyes blazed quickly. "Captain to you! See that you remember that Jeffers!"
He nodded, smiling with faint insolence as he leaned against the door. The girl turned back to the three prisoners.
"There is one difference. At the Prison mines you worked hard. And for a life-time. And you died. You will work where we are going, too—perhaps not so hard, but dangerously! You may die, but at least I offer you a chance. If we succeed in our mission, you are free men. Free to change your identities and go where you will."
"That's okay by me, miss!" Rikert was enthusiastic. "Er, I mean—Captain. But look! Don't we get to see Landreth, George Landreth? I was counting on—"
The girl turned a gaze upon Rikert which reduced him to silence.
"It is my wish that we all may see George Landreth! I may as well tell you now. The purpose of our mission—is to find my father." For the merest instant, Curt saw a deepening look in her eyes which dissolved the mask of hardness. She turned quickly away, seized a sheaf of papers. "We are wasting time here! Jeffers! Show them their assignments." Kueelo and Rikert followed the man from the room. Curt hesitated, then stepped into the control-room where the girl had gone. He may have been mistaken, but for a moment she had shown signs of being almost human.
Curt stood silent, watching her at the navigator's table. She consulted pencilled data on the papers, then swiftly, with practised fingers, she adjusted the sliding sheathes on the robot control. At last it was finished. She glanced up, saw him watching.
"Venus!" Curt exclaimed. "So that's where we're going!"
Her blue eyes surveyed him coolly. "So. You can read a robot-wheel, can you? What else can you do?"