The responsibility of two women, especially the elder Lua, who could not fly, weighed suddenly upon him, and his first thought was to get back to the Great City at once.
Anina helped her mother into the boat.
"Wait," she whispered to Mercer. "I hear what they say. You wait here."
She went to the foot of the steps and began climbing them cautiously.
"Not on your life, I won't wait here," Mercer muttered to himself, and, gripping the light‑ray cylinder firmly as though he feared it might get away from him, he joined Anina on the stairway.
Slowly, cautiously they made their way upward. The steps were fairly wide, and they went up almost side by side. From near the top they could see a portion of the room above.
The corner of a table showed, around which a number of men were gathered, eating. A woman was moving about the room serving them.
Their words, from here, were plainly audible. Mercer would have gone a step or two higher, without thought of discovery, but Anina held him back. "Wait, Ollie. I hear now what they say."
They stood silent. The men were talking earnestly. Mercer could hear their words, but of course understood nothing he heard.
"What do they say, Anina?" he whispered impatiently after a moment.