Gregson shuddered. "You've got a wild imagination, Lal. But we have enough problems on our hands without worrying about ghosts from outer space."
"I said not ghosts—"
"Enough," boomed Golovunoff. "We can continue this silly quarrel indefinitely. Let us assume, since we see no one and nothing aboard the ship, that it arrived empty. And therefore that it is ours for study."
"Do empty ships moor themselves to airlock hatches?" asked the Frenchman sarcastically. "I tell you Lal's right—there must have been intelligence guiding that ship!"
Gregson shook his head. "No. Listen to me, will you? We built this satellite station jointly, as a global watch-station. But does that mean that everything the satellite discovers is to be shared equally?"
"Of course," said Beveridge.
"Then how do we divide that spaceship into five equal parts? Whose country gets it?"
There was a moment's silence. Then Lal said, "We'll turn it over to the United Nations. They can let all nations examine it freely."
For once there was general agreement. "Good idea," Gregson said approvingly, and then the five went back to their tasks aboard the satellite.