"The information we have is important. We've got plenty of stores aboard. Enough for another ten years, if necessary. Sooner or later, I knew Search Command would find us."
Retief cleared his throat. "I'm glad you stuck with it, Captain. Even a backwater world like Groac can kill a lot of people when it runs amok."
"What I didn't know," the captain went on, "was that we're not in a stable orbit. We're going to graze atmosphere pretty deeply this pass, and in another sixty days we'd be back to stay. I guess the Groaci would be ready for us."
"No wonder they were sitting on this so tight," Retief said. "They were almost in the clear."
"And you're here now," the captain said. "Nine years, and we weren't forgotten. I knew we could count on—"
"It's over now, Captain," Retief said. "That's what counts."
"Home," the captain said. "After nine years...."
"I'd like to take a look at the films you mentioned," Retief said. "The ones showing the installations on the satellite."
The captain complied. Retief watched as the scene unrolled, showing the bleak surface of the tiny moon as the Terrific had seen it nine years before.