“We’re explorers. We’ve been given an invitation to experience a totally alien civilization, first-hand. We’d be fools not to take advantage of it.”
“So these human-like natives,” Lamont asked, “They were frightened away by you and not by—” He waved a hand in the direction of the cavernous space before them, where uncounted numbers of the alien creatures apparently lived. “—By them?”
Rosemary nodded, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief that she had retrieved from the breast pocket of Carter’s coat. “They arrived from the corridor that you must have followed down to find me. I think that they try to avoid the humans.”
“But they helped you. And us, come to think of it,” Carter remarked.
“They must be able to tell that we’re different somehow,” Rosemary shrugged.
“Now that we’ve found you, we need to get back to the surface, back to the lift,” Lamont said, his tone rather more urgent than he had intended.
The captain checked the clock on this wrist radio. “We’ve been down here for about an hour. Assuming the elevator wasn’t recalled to Westward, it could still be hours more until the storm passes, and we can be certain that no one will venture from the elevator until then.”
“Surely you’re not suggesting that we stay here!” Lamont exclaimed.
“Why not?” Carter asked. “We’re explorers. We’ve been given an invitation to experience a totally alien civilization, first-hand. We’d be fools not to take advantage of it.”
“I’d rather take my chances with the cavemen,” Lamont scowled.
“I’d like to see them take their chances with me,” Rosemary said darkly, wrapping her arms around herself. “But I’ve a feeling our hosts aren’t going to let that happen.”
“What do you mean?” Carter asked.
“When they brought me with them, one of them touched me with its—I don’t know—tentacles?” Rosemary explained. “I can’t describe what it was like. Not communication, really, but some kind of connection.”
Carter nodded. “The same thing happened to me.”
“And what impression did you get of them? Of their society?” Rosemary prompted him.
“Serene,” The captain said, his taking on a distant look. “Utterly peaceful.”
“Aye,” Rosemary agreed. “I don’t think they’d willingly bring us back up to the cave until they’re sure the pygmies are gone.”
“But you scared them off,” Carter reminded her.
Lamont frowned. “If the storm is bad enough, they might not have stayed away for long. I reckon that’s why they were there in the first place. Reed huts may be fine in normal weather, but in a radiation storm, only the caves would do.”
“I can’t bear to think that Rex might be alone with those—those savages again!” Rosemary hissed.
“He’s beyond caring,” Carter said coolly, placing a hand on her arm.
“Well, I’m not,” The young woman retorted. “And perhaps they’ve only brought us here because they think it’s what we want.”
“This may be your chance to find out,” Lamont said nervously, eyeing the group of creatures that had approached close enough to fall within the beams of their lamps.
Next: Mysterious Forms