"Sorry?" snapped the voice from the ground. "I've been calling for five minutes! Your skipper will hear about this! I shall—"
Hardwick pulled the microphone before him.
"My name is Hardwick," he observed, "I am waiting for instructions to land. My pilot has been listening on boat-frequency, as was proper. You appear to be calling us on an improper channel. Really—"
There was stricken silence. Then babbled apologies from the speaker. Hardwick smiled faintly at young Barnes.
"It's quite all right. Let's forget it now. But will you give my pilot his instructions?"
The voice said strainedly:
"You're to be brought down by landing-grid, sir. Rocket landings have been ruled non-permitted by the Sector Chief himself, sir. But we are already landing one boat, sir. Senior Officer Werner is being brought in now, sir. His boat is still two diameters out, sir, and it will take us nearly an hour to get him down without extreme discomfort, sir."
"Then we'll wait," said Hardwick. "Hm-m-m. Call us again before you start hunting us with the landing-beam. My pilot has a rather promising idea. And will you call us on the proper frequency then, please?"
The voice aground said unhappily:
"Yes, sir. Certainly, sir."