In a little group we stood on the rocky ground with a dark, immense heavy silence around us—a silence that you could seem to hear—and yet a silence which seemed pregnant with the mystery of the unknown. Somehow it made me suddenly think of weapons. Besides our utility-knives, we each had a small, short-range electro-flash gun. I saw that Torrence had his in his hand.
"Put it away," I said. "There's nothing here."
With a grin, he shoved it back into his belt. "Which way?" he demanded. "What will the ore of allurium look like? Green and red spots in sand-colored streaks of rock, that Hughson book says."
I figured that I could recognize it, though I am far from a skilled geologist. Certainly I agreed with Torrence that our most important job was to find some sizable lodes of allurium, measure its probable extent, and take average samples of it back with us.
We climbed out of the little cauldron. In the tumbled darkness we picked our way among the crags. An Earth-mile, then another. Little Jan, like an eager hound was generally ahead of us, with his tiny search-glare sweeping the jagged rocks. We crossed a narrow winding canyon, inspected a slashed cliff-face. It was arduous going. Despite the sense of lightness and our tropic black-drill clothes of short trousers, thin jackets and shirts, we were panting, bathed in sweat within an hour. Silently, Torrence plodded at my side. It was my first trip with him; and I could see he did not altogether trust my efficiency.
"You can find the way back to the ship?" he demanded once. "To get lost in a place like this—"
I had marked it; little twin spires above the cauldron. They were visible now, looming against the dark sky behind us.
I showed him. "I saw them," he said. "I could lead us back. My idea is, if we cover about ten miles and then camp—"
A cry from Jan interrupted us. He was standing on a little ridge of rock like a bronze metal wave frozen into solidity. Against the deep purple sky his slim figure was a silhouette of solid black. He was staring off into the distance; his arm waved with a gesture as he called to us.