Mission of Gravity

„Do you think there’s any chance of getting them scared of the radios, Barl?”

The chief’s head was about two inches from the speaker this time, and Lackland had made no effort to reduce the volume. Consequently there was no question where the sound had come from; and the chief began backing away from the noisy box. He was evidently trying to go slowly enough to satisfy his self-respect and fast enough to suit his other emotions, and once again Lackland had trouble in not laughing aloud.

Before Barle

„Good work, Don. Every time one of you does something like that I’ll try to show approval; and I’ll bark like nobody’s business at anything I don’t want our new acquaintances to be doing. You know the appropriate actions better than I, so just do everything in your power to make „em think these radio boxes are high-powered beings who’ll deliver lightning if properly a

„I understand; we can hold our end,” replied the mate. „I thought that was what you had in mind.”

The chief, gathering his courage once more, suddenly lunged at the nearest radio with his spear. Lackland remained silent, feeling that the natural result on the wooden point would be impressive enough; the sailors entered with a will into the game outlined by the Flyer. With what Lackland supposed were the equivalent of gasps of pious horror, they turned away from the scene and covered their eyes with their pincers. After a moment, seeing that nothing further was happening, Barle

„All right.” It was the mate’s voice again, and the Earthman lowered the volume of the speaker.

„What was wrong the other time?” he asked quietly.

„I wouldn’t have given that piece to a ternee belonging to my worst enemy,” replied Dondragmer.

„I keep finding resemblances between your people and mine in the darnedest situations,” Lackland remarked. „I hope this business is suspended for the night; I can’t see what’s going on in the dark. If anything happens that I should react to, for heaven’s sake tell me.” This remark was prompted by the arrival of sunset once more, and Barle

The night was spent by the chief in discussion; his voice, interrupted occasionally by others’ which must belong to his counselors, came clearly to the Earthmen far above. By dawn he had apparently reached a decision. He had drawn a little apart from his counselors and laid down his weapons; now, as sunlight slanted once more across the deck, he advanced toward Barle

His words were still unintelligible to the sailors, naturally enough; but the gestures accompanying them were clear enough to give the speech meaning even to the distant human watchers.

Quite plainly, he wanted a radio. Lackland found himself speculating idly on just what supernatural powers the chief supposed the device to possess. Perhaps he wanted it to protect the village from enemies, or to bring luck to his hunters. That was not really an important question, however; what mattered would be his attitude when the request was refused. That might possibly be rather anti-social, and Lackland was still worrying a trifle.

Barle

The chief, to the relief of at least one watcher, did not take „a belligerent attitude. Instead, he gave a brief order to his men. Several of these at once laid aside their weapons and began restoring the looted food to the lockers from which it had been taken. If freedom were not enough for one of the magic boxes, he was willing to pay more. Both Barle

With half the food returned, the chief repeated his request; when it was refused as before, he gave an amazingly human gesture of resignation and ordered his men to restore.the rest. Lackland was getting uneasy.

„What do you think hell do when you refuse him now, Barl?” he asked softly. The chief looked at the box hopefully; perhaps it was arguing with its owner, ordering him to give his captor what he wanted.

„I’m not sure enough to venture a prediction,’’ the Mesklinite replied. „With luck, hell bring us more stuff from the village to add to the price; but I’m not sure luck goes that! far. If the radio were less important, I’d give it to him now.” — ”For heaven’s sake!” The ethnologist sitting beside Lackland practically exploded at this point. „Have you been going through all this rigmarole and risking your life and: those of your men just to hang onto a cheap vision set?”

„Hardly cheap,” muttered Lackland. „They were designed to hold up at Mesklin’s poles, under Mesklinite atmosphere, and through the handling of Mesklinite natives.”

„Don’t quibble!” snapped the student of cultures. „What are those sets down there for if not to get information? Give one to that savage! Where could it be better placed? And how could we observe the everyday life of a completely strange race better than through that eye? Charles, sometimes I wonder at you!”

„That will leave three in Barle

„Why? What does he have to do with it? He’s not risking anything like Barle

The captain, who had of course overheard this, cut in. „You forget, friend of Charles, that the radios are not my property. Charles let me take them, at my suggestion to be sure, as a safety measure, so that at least one would reach its goal even though unavoidable incidents deprived me of the others. It seems to me that he, not I, is the one whose word should be final.” Lackland answered instantly.