"Then how about fixing it up so that we can get back?”
"Right away," said the voice, very businesslike. "I'll just clean up a thing or two. Don't like the residue of my irrationality cluttering up the planet. That Hellhound ship over there….”
But instead of the Hellhound ship, it was the Earth ship that went skyward in a terrific gout of flame that sent a wash of heat across the barren land.
"Hey, there…" yelled Gary and then stood stock still as the enormity of what had happened crackled in his mind.
"Tsk, tsk," said the voice. "How very stupid of me. How could I have done a thing like that! Now I'll never be able to send you home again.”
His cackling laughter filled the sky and beat like a mighty drum.
"The Hellhound ship!" yelled Gary. "Run… run…”
But even as they whirled to race toward it, it was gone in a blaze of fire, followed by a trail of smoke that hung briefly above the scorched piece of the ground where the ship had lain.
"You couldn't have operated it, anyhow," said the voice. "It wouldn't have done you a single bit of good.”
He laughed again and the laughter trailed off into distance, like a retreating thunderstorm.