"I said that one of you had to remain by the machine. Then they said
that you, in particular, must come along, Kurbi."
"But I'm the pilot--" Raf began and then realized that it was just
that fact which had made the aliens attach him to the exploring party.
If they believed that the Terran flitter was immobilized when he, and
he alone, was not behind its controls, this was just the move they
would make. But there they were wrong. Soriki might not be able to
repair or service the motor, but in a pinch he could take it up, send
it westward, and land it beside the spacer. Each and every man aboard
the _RS 10_ had that much training.
Now the com-tech was scowling. He had grasped the significance of that
arrangement as quickly as Raf. "How long do I wait for you, sir?" he
asked in a voice which had lost its usual good-humored drawl.
And at that inquiry Captain Hobart showed signs of irritation. "Your
suspicions are not founded on facts," he stated firmly. "These people
have displayed no signs of wanting to harm us. And an attitude of
distrust at this point might be fatal for future friendly contact.
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