gns...."

* * * * *

I increased power, and began slowly searching the terrain of the
distant body. I had not far to search before I found what I sought.

"We're in luck, Mr. Correy!" I exclaimed. "Our friend is inhabited.
There is at least one sizeable city on the larger continent and ...
yes, there's another! Something to break the monotony, eh? Strobus is
an 'unknown' on the charts."

"Suppose we'll have trouble, sir?" asked Correy hopefully. Correy was a
prime hand for a fight of any kind. A bit too hot-headed perhaps, but a
man who never knew when he was beaten.

"I hope not; you know how they rant at the Base when we have to protect
ourselves," I replied, not without a certain amount of bitterness.
"They'd like to pacify the Universe with never a sweep of a
disintegrator beam. 'Of course, Commander Hanson' some silver-sleeve
will say, 'if it was absolutely vital to protect your men and your
ship'--ugh! They ought to turn out for a tour of duty once in a while,
and see what conditions are." I was young then, and the attitude of my
conservative superiors at the Base was not at all in keeping with my
own views, at times.

"You think, then, that we will have trouble, sir?"

"Your guess is as good is mine," I shrugged. "The people of this
Strobus know nothing of us. They will not know whether we come as
friends or enemies. Naturally, they will be suspicious. It is hard to
explain the use of the menore, to convey our thoughts to them."

I glanced up at the attraction meter, reflecting upon the estimated
mass of the body we were approaching. By night we should be nearing her
atmospheric envelope. By morning we should be setting down on her.

"We'll hope for the best, sir," said Correy innocently.

I bent more closely over the television disk, to hide my smile. I knew
perfectly what the belligerent Correy meant by "the best."

* * * * *

The next morning, at atmospheric speed, we settled down swiftly over
the larger of the two continents, Correy giving orders to the
navigating room while I divided my attention between the television
disk and the altimeter, with a glance every few seconds at the surface
temperature gauge. In unknown atmospheres, it is not difficult to run
up a considerable surface temperature, and that is always uncomfortable
and sometimes dangerous.

"The largest city seems to be nearer the other continent. Yo