"I'm putting this girl in your charge. She's your responsibility—"
"What are you going to do?" put in Cornelia quickly.
Pritchard looked up into those gray-green eyes so intent upon him. A pang of regret stabbed through him. He was no longer seeing her sweet-lined body. Here was a girl he could have ridden the starways with. A person with enough courage and resource to have held her own in this killer-infested Eden.
"I'm taking a powder, as they used to say back on good old Terra. I'm gambling. Gambling that I can get back to the one cruiser that hasn't burnt up all its wiring, and call the ship." He slapped the leg-pocket of his breeches. Kemp nodded. The pocket contained a ready-packed emergency chute.
Cornelia shook her head slowly. "You'll never make it—"
"He might," said Kemp.
"I'll bet I can," said Pritchard. "I've got to."
"The One will get you," she said. "It can get into one of those things easily. It'll take only a little of Its digestive juice...." Her face puckered and those emerald eyes shone brighter, but she fought for and regained control.
"So?" Pritchard smiled. "You'll be well rid, then, of that notorious big-game hunter, Elmer Pritchard."