“Then for Pete’s sake cut the power—right now. If it’s not too late, that’ll save the ship and my friends.”
“Oh, I can’t do that.”
“What? Why not? You said the war doesn’t mean anything to you any more.”
“It doesn’t, George. But I would have to climb to the upper floor and mess about with switches and things. Tiresome. Besides, I hate climbing stairs.”
George felt like hitting him, but remembered in time the old man’s protective thunderbolt.
Instead, he stormed: “Then I’ll go. Where is it? What do I do?”
“You’ll never find the control room—there’s a secret panel or two and all kinds of complex safety devices. Besides, I don’t want you prying—”
A bell rang sweetly high on the wall.
“Ah!” exclaimed Senilde. “This is my lucky day—I have another visitor. Who can it be? Let’s see.”
He walked out of the lounge. George and Mara stared at each other. George threw up his arms. “Isn’t it maddening to want to kill a man you can’t kill?
Where’s the old fool gone now?”
“The best way to find out is follow him,” said Mara, practically. She went out. George tagged along behind; he was curious about the visitor, too. Senilde was in the gloomy cavern of the hall staring out at the garden. A distant figure was approaching the fountain in the driveway. Senilde was shaking with anticipatory glee.
George unslung his telescope and leveled it. The newcomer was a mere stick of a man, old, shriveled, knock-kneed, in a one-piece tunic so dirty its original color was unplaceable. However, he seemed at ease, walking slowly and calmly. When the fountain duly performed, he walked steadily through the shower, not changing his pace but only his expression, which became one of disgust.
Mara wanted to look through the telescope. George gave it to her.
“It Leep,” she reported, without surprise.
Senilde looked at her and asked what instrument she was using. Either he’d not seen telescopes before or else they’d passed out of use on Venus so long ago he’d quite forgotten them. Mara passed it to him. He was fascinated and watched Leep closely through it
Leep sat on no seats, and when he neared the sticky patch he seemed to divine its existence and walked carefully around it. Senilde sighed with disappointment. Then he whispered: “The step will catch him.”
It didn’t. Leep avoided the step and entered through the side of the portico. Mara greeted him in their own language. It came through the Teleo simply as
“Hello, Leep.”
Leep replied casually.
Mara said: “No, I’ve only just come. I’ve been back to look at Fami. How did you escape?”
George had dug out another Teleo outfit. He handed it to Leep. Mara explained its function, and the seer put it on. Senilde watched Leep sulkily, his expression saying that this ultra-cautious fellow promised poor sport. Leep said: “I warned everyone the overhang was about to fall. They believed me, naturally, but hoped irrationally it wouldn’t be too bad. They talked themselves into sticking it out in Fami. But I didn’t want to die, so I came down the glacier in the way you did. Then I wandered around the foot-hills looking for this house. I knew it existed, but I could divine only its rough location. I’ve been walking for a long time and I’m hungry. Very hungry. Is there any food here?”
Senilde had lost interest in Leep, and was playing with the telescope. George said: “I’ve a little food. Come on in.”
Senilde made no protest, even if he heard. He walked out into the garden and began to survey the area through the telescope. George led the way into the lounge and opened up the provision box. Leep munched food bars appreciatively.
“What made you come here?” George asked.
“I thought Mara might be here. I wanted to find her.”
