"He says they are only asleep, that after awhile they will wake up," Michaelson said.
"God!" Craig groaned. "I was afraid of that. Ask him what the Ogrum will do with their captives?"
Again the scientist questioned the dawn man.
"He says the Ogrum will take them to their city and feed them to the white beast that is always hungry."
Craig said nothing. He turned and looked at the Idaho. The skin was drawn tight across his face and knots were bulging at the corners of his jaws. He could see the Ogrum dancing on the decks. They looked something like humans except that their bodies were distorted, out of proportion. One was tall and very skinny. Another was short and fat. A third had one long arm and one short arm. Another had a long body and two very short legs. Just looking at them, he hated them.
"Damn you," he whispered. "Damn you—"
Something touched his arm. He turned and saw that Guru had risen to his feet. The dawn man, a look of sympathy on his face, was awkwardly trying to pat him on the shoulder.
"Guru is trying to tell you that he is sorry," Michaelson said.
"Thanks," Craig said chokingly. "We—we're not licked yet."
In his heart, he knew that he was whistling to keep up his own courage when he said they weren't licked. If the Ogrum could conquer the Idaho, what could a handful of sailors do against them? True, there were several exploring parties ashore, but all of them did not total fifty men.