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Terl swept his sca
The interior of the tank was compressed with breathe-gas but Terl also had on a breathe-mask. He adjusted it.
Terl picked up an intercom unit and pushed it through the atmosphere-tight firing port. The unit fell to the ground outside the tank. Terl picked up the interior unit.
“Get down off that horse and pick up this intercom,” ordered Terl.
Jo
Through the intercom, Terl said, “Did you kill those sentries?”
Jo
“You know the sentries I mean. At the compound.”
“Have you had trouble?” said Jo
The word “trouble” almost made Terl's head spin. He didn't know what trouble he had, or what kind of trouble, or from where. He got a grip on himself.
“You obscured the last part of that sign,” he said accusingly.
“Oh?” said Jo
Terl simmered down. Advice. “About what?” He knew about what. It was next to impossible to get out that gold. But there had to be a way. And he was a miner. Top student of the school, actually. And he studied the recon drone pictures daily. He knew the flexing rods would not let them build a platform. “You need a portable shaft stairway. You've got one in your equipment. You nail it to the outside face and work from it.”
“All right,” said Jo
“We also need some protection in case of uranium,” said Jo
“Why?”
“There's uranium in those mountains,” said Jo
"In the gold?”
“I don't think so. In the valleys and around.” Jo
This seemed to cheer Terl up. “No crap?” he said.
“What gear protects one?”
Terl said, “There's always radiation around on a planet like this and a sun like this. Small amounts. That's why these breathe-masks have leaded glass in their faceplates. That's why all the canopies are leaded glass. You don't have any.”
“It’s lead that protects one?”
“You'll just have to take your chances,” said Terl, amused, feeling better.
“Can you turn a light up here?” asked Jo
“I don't want any lights.”
“Do you think you were followed?”
“No. That spi
Jo
“Turn a light on this,” said Jo
Jo
With a lift of his arm, Jo
Terl sat and stared through the windscreen at it. He swallowed hard.
“There's a ton of it there,” said Jo
The Psychlo just sat and looked at the gold through the windscreen. Jo
He picked up the intercom again. “We're keeping our bargain. You must keep yours.”
“What do you mean?” said Terl, detecting accusation.
“You promised to give food and water and firewood to the females.”
Terl shrugged. “Promises,” he said indifferently.
Jo
The motion was not lost on Terl. “Quit it. How do you know they aren't being cared for?”
Jo
“There's something you don't know about humans,” said Jo
“You mean without radios, right?” Terl had read about this. He hadn't realized these animals had it. Damned animals.
“Right,” said Jo
“Now I have a pack here,” said Jo
“It’s just the tank,” said Terl. “It goes empty, needs to be topped up. I’ve been busy.”
“And take those sentries away. You don't need sentries!”
“How did you know there were sentries?” said Terl suspiciously.
“You just told me so, tonight,” said Jo
“You can't order me around,” bristled Terl.
"Terl, if you don't take care of the females, I just might take it into my head to wander up to those sentries and mention something I know.”
“What!” demanded Terl.
“Just something I know. It wouldn't cause you to be fired but it would be embarrassing.”
Terl suddenly vowed he had better get rid of those sentries.
“You'll know if I don't do these things?” said Terl.
Jo
But the threat had unsettled Terl's spi
“Keep it for ourselves,” said Jo
Terl snarled deep and threateningly. His amber eyes flared in the darkness of the tank. "I’ll be damned if you will!” he shouted. Leverage, leverage! “Listen! Did you ever hear of a drone bomber? Hah, I thought not. Well, let me tell you something, animal: I can lift off a drone bomber and send it right over that site, right over your camp, right over any shelter, and bomb you out of existence. All by remote! You're not as safe as you think, animal!”
Jo
“You, animal,” snarled Terl, “are going to mine that gold and you're going to deliver that gold and you are going to do it all by Day 91. And if you don't I’ll blast you and all animals on this planet to hell, you hear me, to hell!” His voice ended in a shriek of hysteria and he stopped, panting.
“And when Day 91 comes, and we've done it?” said Jo
Terl barked a sharp, hysterical laugh.
He felt he really had to get control of himself. He sensed he was acting strangely. “Then you get paid!” he shouted.