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"Oh," said the other simply. He looked disappointed.
"Look, I haven't had my breakfast. You?"
"Just some soup. I could do with something solid." He tossed the empty cylinder out of the boat,
watched it bounce and tall across the pale surface.
"Okay, after breakfast, what do you think we ought to do, leader?"
"Well," Ethan considered, "I definitely think we shouldn't remain here." He looked at the other for
confirmation, but the big man just stared back. He continued.
"We're not making any progress toward Brass Monkey by sitting here. A really first-class blow could
send this whole boat spinning. I think the first thing we should do is look for some more substantial
shelter. Maybe a cave on a big island. You circled this one the other day?" September nodded.
"As Isaid then, it's not very big. Certainly saw nothing we could use as shelter, unless we dig our own.
Given the likely consistency of this frozen earth, I wouldn't care to try."
"Swell. After you eat, then, I think if you'd climb-"
"Climb? Uh-uh, not me."
"All right.One of us ought to climb the tallest tree on the island and get a good look around. Maybe we'll
see some-thing."
"Like an ice-cream stand?"
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September guffawed, slapped Ethan on the back. "A good thought, young feller-me-lad. But first I'd
better get about putting something substantial in my belly. Otherwise I won't have the strength to watch
you fall."
"Even if we should spot another body of land," asked Co-lette du Kane, "how do you propose reaching
it?" September worked on his oatmeal while he considered her question.
" You said yourself that walking on this ice is damned tough even with makeshift aids," she continued
doggedly. "Since there's nothing within easy walking distance, any trek we try will measure in the
kilometers. This may be swell for you, but I'm not built for cross-country hiking. And father would never
make it."
Du Kane started to protest, but she raised a hand and smiled.
"No, father. I know you're willing, but corporate direc-torship doesn't inure one to much physical
hardship."
"Something more corporate directors should note," said September, putting down the empty container.
"Despite what you may think, young lady, I don't relish trying such a hike myself. We'll have to try and
rig up some kind of sled. Maybe we can break loose a torn section of hull. If we could sharpen some
long branches to a good point, maybe tip 'em with metal, we might kind of pole our way along. Be slow
and ugly, but better than walking. Not exactly the Intercity Central on Hivehom, but we ought to be able
to take along most of our supplies."
"The weather would have to hold," said Colette thought-fully. "I don't know if I could take another night
like the last, and out on the bare ice."
September looked troubled. "I've no way of knowing that myself, Miss du Kane. It's not a pretty
thought. And if an-other of those snaggle-toothed nightmares happened onto us, why, we'd be just so
many cold hors d'oeuvres.
"One thing's for sure, though. We wouldn't be any worse off than we are in sitting here. And at least we'll
be making some sort of progress toward the settlement."
"But what if someone should send over a rescue shuttle?" put in du Kane plaintively.
Ethan surprised himself by answering.
"It's most unlikely anyone would think to search the surface for survivors, sir. If they did, they'd have the
whole planet to choose from. Not much chance of picking us out against this ice, us with no power,
nothing casting. But if by some wild chance someone did come looking for us and did find the wreck,
they'll assume we've started off toward Brass Monkey. They'll trace us back along, the most likely
routes. We can leave silts. At least we know it's somewhere to the west."
Well, he said to himself, a bit startled, you've just articu-lated your own probable demise, Mr. Fortune.
Father a sad end for the fair-haired young sales genius of Malaika Enter-prises, hmmm? That's right, go
ahead and shiver. Tell your-self it's the cold.
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"Like it or not, we're on our own, as the young fella says," September added.
Ethan heard himself speaking again. "There is one other possibility, of course." Even September looked
startled.
" His people might decide to come looking for us." From his corner Walther glared back at him.
"Not a chance," the little kidnapper spat. "They're not that imaginative. We're as good as dead right
now. All thanks tohim ." He looked at September with bitter hatred.
"There's enough rough metal around," the big man replied easily. "You can cut your throat any time you
want to."
"Or yours, maybe?"
September just smiled slightly. "You're welcome to try, any hour of any day you choose. One way or the
other, it would be a solution of sorts for you, wouldn't it?
"Right now, though," he said briskly to them all, "I think we should all take a little stroll around the chunk
of dirt we've run up against. It's not very big, but it's home. For another day, at least. Besides, most of
you haven't been outside. It's time you started getting used to the kind of country you'll be spending a
long, long time with."
There were no arguments, not even from Colette. It was Ethan who noticed the obvious problem.
"Wait a minute. We only have four sets of ice goggles." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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