"To hell with it!" Caxton said disagreeably. "Let's find the kronalium."
Headley nodded, stumbled after Caxton. But jubilation was in his heart. When he and Caxton returned, they would take back several of the rock-creatures as living proof of the success of their mission.
He glanced back, saw squat legs flick from the opening in the rock, saw the creature scurry back to the few others of its kind that rested at the side of the semi-frozen pool of liquid. He grinned again, then pressed forward to lead the way to the cliff.
They rested in the lee of the escarpment, safe from the howling wind, huddling out of the way of the rocks and snow-clots that went spinning by from the fury of the storm.
"Now what?" Caxton asked.
Tom Headley glanced at the gauges below the level of his chin, watched the needles carefully.
"God!" he said. "This place is a storehouse of minerals and elements. We'll have no trouble getting money for an expedition."
"Damn it!" Rage knotted Caxton's voice until it was a thin screech. "Who cares about that; do you find any traces of kronalium?"
Headley watched a single dial, turned slowly, studying the line of cliff-base at his left. "Close by," he said. "It must be a big deposit, for the needle doesn't waver."