"It's just like pulling teeth," Bowen chuckled, "without an anesthetic!"
"Oh, no!" Thurwinker groaned. "What have I done!" He paced the floor again and stopped suddenly. "Still, we've got some land to work with. Yes, maybe it'll be all right after all."
But it wasn't all right. The engineers informed Thurwinker that they had to have more shafts. "You just can't drill through iridium!" they complained.
Thurwinker shrugged his shoulders and resolutely set off to find Goma, but Goma had disappeared and none of the natives knew where he had gone. It was useless to try to bargain with them. Because of his haircut, Goma was absolute Chief now. Thurwinker came back to the crater after fruitlessly searching the surrounding country for six days. He opened the door of his hut and plunked himself resignedly down at his desk.
At that moment there came a thump on the door. Thurwinker arose and opened it. There stood Goma looking more down in the mouth than the last time he had visited Thurwinker. Thurwinker stuffed the resignation into his pocket and guided Goma into the hut. "I am glad to see you, Goma!" Thurwinker exploded. "Yes indeed, very glad."
Goma didn't understand the words, but he knew from the expression on Thurwinker's face that he was welcome.
"I want to see you," Thurwinker began in Goma's tongue. "I want more land."
Goma stared at him sadly. "I keep land. You bad man."
"Huh?" Thurwinker asked, incredulously.
"Look." Goma pointed to his hair. "It grow. When the people see it grow they will not let me be Chief any more."