He called to two of the crew. So we had to do it again. Go through the same old rigmarole. I'll spare you the details this time, since they were the same as before. We donated, the Thagwar accepted, then we started talking peace-terms. The pact was presented, the Thagwar studied it and this time—fortunately—succeeded in stamping it with his official O.Q. before Themis' invisible moon brought night again.
So at last our job was accomplished. As we entered the ship, Cap Hanson was jubilant.
"Thank goodness that's done!" he sighed happily. "And now—back to Earth! And Diane—"
Biggs' Adam's-apple bobbled convulsively in his lean throat. "I—er—I think we'd better wait just a little while longer, Dad," he said mildly.
"Wait? What for? We got the peace pact signed."
"I know. But don't forget, that's only the eighth in a long series of such 'peace pacts.' We'd better stick around a little while and see if they live up to it."
"Stick around a while! How long?"
Lanse glanced through the quartzite viewpanes and said, "Not long. Because—see? It's night again."
"Night! What's night got to do with it?"
"That," said Lanse seriously, "is just what I want to know. If I could only get the theory straight in my mind I might have the answer. Sparks—" He turned to me—"turn on the telaudio. Let's see if we can't get some word—"