This had not occurred to Susan before. "You mean—"
"I mean that you must use no more water than is absolutely necessary for drinking and preparing your food. The food you must share between you, on half rations. As for the air—"
"Yes," said Durham. "What about the air?"
"I believe that activity has the effect of increasing your metabolism, thereby consuming more oxygen. So I would advise you both to move and speak as little as possible. Remain calm. Remain quiet. In that way you should be able to survive. It is not that we are grudging. It is simply that we cannot share any of our supplies with you, because you are alien life forms and totally incompatible. If we had known there would be two, we would have prepared. As it is, you must work together to conserve."
"But," said Susan, "but this isn't fair, it isn't right! You'll take me back or my father will see to it—"
"Keep this speaker open," said the Senyan, "so that you will be sure to hear the audio signal, a sustained note repeated at intervals of forty seconds. Prepare to enter overdrive."
He did not say good-bye. He merely went away with his two officers. Susan screamed after them. Durham clapped his hand over her mouth, and took her forcibly and put her on the bunk.
"Lie there," he said. "Quiet. Didn't you hear him? Don't move, don't talk."
He sat down in the chair, consciously trying not to breathe deeply.
"But—"