“Maybe they are from another star,” Garry said in a solemn tone.
They would know pretty soon where the flying object was from, because it was still heading in their direction, and its passengers could not possibly miss seeing them.
Garry and Patch were silent as the object drew steadily closer, each of them engrossed in his own thoughts.
“It really does look like a tin can,” Patch said. “A tin can with a big eye in front! But what a big tin can! It’s big as one of those ancient dirigibles.”
“Patch, I can begin to make out some writing over the eye. See it?”
“Yes. Just a moment. It’s coming into focus. It says ‘CAREFREE!’ I don’t know what it means, but it sounds friendly.”
“That must be the name of it,” Garry suggested. “No ship with a name like that could be carrying unfriendly passengers.”
“It also means that there must be earthmen aboard, because it’s an earth word.”
“I don’t think we have anything to worry about, Patch,” Garry said confidently.
“Now they’re turning around,” Patch said. “They—they’re pulling even with us. I guess they’ll anchor to us with magnetic grapples.”