Horse murmured something that sounded like "gutless" and I said sharply, "Would you repeat that?"
His gaze met mine levelly. "I didn't say a word, Chief. I'll get my suit on."
In a little while, I saw him out there on the ramp putting on a great show of trying to adjust the robot's delemeter, which is what gives them their uncanny balance.
After about twenty minutes, he waved and stood to one side, and Van Elling sent the impulse through. The robot staggered, and then came back to an upright position. Collins stood at the broad part of the ramp as the line began to move again.
Discipline begins with self-discipline, I told myself. No man ever achieved anything without self-control.
The more complex robots stayed in the storeroom of the ship, checking the tonnage, and classifying the elgeron according to quality. These were just the haulers, on the ramp, and Van controlled them completely from his board.
His word regarding their breakdown would be the accepted word with the bosses. I would have a difficult job getting anything on Van Elling.
But Horse Collins? Horse had seen a woman on an asteroid that didn't exist. Horse had been guilty of insubordination. He would need more friends than he had to wriggle out from under those charges.
There was another breakdown before we were finished loading, and they'd timed it well. We blasted off an hour later than usual.
Van went back to the robot quarters and Horse to his charts, and I had some more entries for the log. I'm not a talkative man, but Horse was. The silence in the cabin must have bothered him.