She abruptly dropped the pretense and moved toward the door. She half-turned then, and said detachedly:
"But about half of that is true."
The door slid shut behind her. Massy thought bitterly, Her brother admires me. She probably thinks I really can do something! It suddenly occurred to him that she knew a Colonial Survey ship was due to stop by here to pick him up. She believed he expected to be rescued, even though the rest of the colony could not be, and most of it wouldn't consent to leave their kindred when the death of mankind in this solar system took place. He said awkwardly:
"Fifty thousand kilowatts isn't enough to land a ship."
Herndon frowned. Then he said:
"Oh. You mean the Survey ship that's to pick you up can't land? But it can go in orbit and put down a rocket landing-boat for you."
Massy flushed.
"I wasn't thinking of that. I'd something more in mind. I ... rather like your sister. She's ... pretty wonderful. And there are some other women here in the colony, too. About a dozen all told. As a matter of self-respect I think we ought to get them away on the Survey ship. I agree that they wouldn't consent to go. But if they had no choice—if we could get them on board the grounded ship, and they suddenly found themselves ... well ... kidnaped and outward-bound not by their own fault.... They could be faced with the accomplished fact that they had to go on living."
Herndon said evenly: