"We are glad to have you and George Prince's sister with us." He shot Anita an admiring glance. "I will show you our controls, Haljan."
"All right," I said. "Whatever I can do to help...."
"But not now. It will be some hours before we are ready."
I nodded, and he wandered away. Anita whispered: "Did he mean that signal room up in the tower? Oh Gregg, maybe it's only the control room."
"Suppose we go up and see? Miko's signals might start any minute."
And the electronic projector seemed about ready. It was time for me to act. But a reluctant instinct was upon me. Our Erentz suits were close behind us in Potan's cubby. I hated to leave them. If anything happened, and we had to make a sudden dash, there would be no time to garb ourselves in the suits. To adjust the helmets would be bad enough.
I whispered swiftly, "We must get into our suits--find some pretext." I drew her back through the cubby doorway where we would be more secluded.
"Anita, listen. I've been a fool not to plan our escape more carefully. We're in too great a danger here!"
Suddenly it seemed to me that we were in desperate plight! Was it premonition?
"Anita, listen: if anything happens and we have to make a dash--"
"Up through that dome lock, Gregg? It's a manual control; you can see the levers."
"Yes. It's a manual. But once up there how would we get down?"
She was far calmer than I. "There may be an outside ladder, Gregg."
"Then we can get out the way they brought us in. The hull port--it's a manual, too."
"Yes, I think I can find our way down through the hull corridors."
We had seen them through the dome windows. But there were not many, only two or three. I was armed and a surprise rush would do the trick.
"What will we do with the helmets?" demanded Anita. "Leave them here?"
"No, take them with us. I'm not going to get separated from them!"
"We'll look strange going up to that signal room equipped like this."
"I can't help it, Anita. We'll explain it, somehow."
She stood before me, a queer-looking little figure in the now deflated, bagging suit with her slim neck and head protruding above it.
"Carry your helmet, Anita. Ill take mine."
We could adjust the helmets and start the motors all within a few seconds.
I had the bullet projector in an outer pouch of the suit where I could instantly reach it. This was more rational; we had a fighting chance now. The fear which had swept me began to recede.