"That," said Hardwick, "makes for emotional thinking. These people know their danger. So they've packed their children and their wives into these little cockleshells to try to save them. They're waiting offshore here to find out if they're doomed regardless. I wouldn't say"—he nodded toward a delicately designed twin-hull sailer with more children than adults aboard—"I wouldn't call that a good substitute for an Ark!"
Young Barnes fidgeted. The boat turned again and went parallel to the shore toward where Headquarters land came down to the sea. The ground was firmer, there. There had been no irrigation. Lateral seepage had done some damage at the edge of the reserve, but the major part of the shoreline was unbroken, unchanged solid ground, looming above the beach. There was, of course, no sand at the edge of the water. There had been no weathering of rock to produce it. When this island was upraised, its coating of hardened ooze protected the stone. The small lee-side waves merely lapped upon bare, curdled rock. The wharf for pleasure boats went out on metal pilings into deep water.
"Excuse me, sir," said young Barnes embarrassedly, "but ... if the fuel blows, it'll be pretty bad, sir."
"That's the understatement of the century," Hardwick commented. "Yes. It will. Why?"
"You've something in mind, sir, to try to save the rest of the island. Nobody else seems to know what to do. If ... if I may say so, sir, your ... safety is pretty important. And you could do your work on the cliffs, sir, and ... if I could stay at Headquarters and—"
He stopped, appalled at his own presumption in suggesting that he could substitute for a Senior Officer even as a message-boy, and even for his convenience or safety. He began to stammer:
"I m-mean, sir, n-not that I'm capable of it, sir—"
"Stop stammering," grunted Hardwick. "There aren't two separate problems. There's one which is the compound of the two. I'm staying at Headquarters to try something on the ship-fuel side, and Werner will specialize on the rest of the island since he hasn't come up with anything but shifting people to the ice pack. And the situation isn't hopeless! If there's an earthquake or a storm, of course we'll be wiped out. But short of one of those calamities, we can save part of the island. I don't know how much, but some. You make those measurements. If you're doubtful, get a Headquarters man to duplicate them. Then give me both sets."
"Y-yes, sir," said Young Barnes, miserably.
"And," said Hardwick formidably. "Never try to push your ranking officer into a safe place, even if you're willing to take his risk! Would you like it if a man under you tried to put you in a safe place while he took the chance that was yours?"