“Also, the use of that heater caused the melting of about a body length of the radiator wire, and I don’t see how we are going to restore the refrigerator to service if we do get the Kwembly free. This may not be of immediate importance, but, if we do get back into service, we’d have to think twice about going very far into Low Alpha without refrigeration. One of the few things you people seem really sure of is that the low-pressure area is caused by high temperature, presumably from internal heat, and I know you set a very high priority on finding out about it. There is virtually no metal in the ship, and one of the few things I understand about that refrigerator is that its outside radiator must be an electrical conductor. Right?”

The captain waited for his reply with some interest. He hoped that the technical problem would divert the human interest from the whole question of Kabremm and the Esket; but he knew that this would not have worked if he himself were on the other end of the conversation. Of course, Benj Hoffman was young — but he was probably not the only person there.

At least it was Benj who answered; but he didn’t seem much interested in technology.

“if you think they’re in the ice, shouldn’t people get down there right away and look? They might still be alive in those suits, mightn’t they? You said a while ago that no one had ever found out, but that at least seems to me that the longer you put off finding them, the less chance they have of living. Isn’t that the most important problem right now?”

Easy’s voice followed on, before Dondragmer could frame an answer; she seemed to be talking to her son as well as to the captain.

“It’s not quite the most important. The Kwembly is synonymous with the lives of its entire crew, son. The captain is not being callous about his men. I know you feel about your friend, and as a feeling it’s perfectly proper; but a person with responsibility has to think as well as feel.”

“I though you were on my side.”

“I feel with you very strongly, but that doesn’t keep me from knowing the captain is right.”

“I suppose Barlennan would act the same way. Have you asked him what Dondragmer should do?”

“I haven’t asked him, but he knows the situation — if you don’t think so, there’s the microphone; give your side of it to him. Personally I don’t think he’d dream of overriding Dondragmer or any other cruiser captain in such a matter, when he himself isn’t on the scene.” There was a pause while Benj hunted for words to refute this claim; he was still young enough to think that there was something fundamentally inhuman about thinking more than one step ahead at a time. After ten seconds or so of silence, Dondragmer assumed that the station transmission was over and a reply was in order.

Mrs. Hoffman — I believe I recognized her voice — is quite right, Benj. I have not forgotten Beetchermarlf, any more than you have forgotten Takoorch, although it is obvious even to me that you are thinking less of him. It is simply that I have more lives to consider than theirs. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave any more discussion of it to her, right now. Would you please get some of your engineers thinking about the problem of my refrigerator? And you probably will see Borndender climbing the hull with his sample; the report about the stream should come up in a few minutes. If Mr. McDevitt is still there, please have him stand by; if he was left for any reason, will you please have him come back?”

The watchers had seen a climbing Mesklinite as the captain had said, though not even Easy had recognized Borndender. Before Benj could say anything, McDevitt answered, “I’m still here, Captain. We’ll wait, and as soon as the analysis is here I’ll take it to the computer .If Borndender has any temperature and pressure readings to send along with his chemical information, they will all be useful.”

The boy was still unhappy, but even he could see that this was not the time for further interruption. Also, his father had just entered the communication room, accompanied by Aucoin and Mersereau. Benj tactfully slid out of the seat in front of the bridge screen to make room for the planner, though he was too angry and upset to hope that his badly-chosen words of the last few minutes would go unmentioned. He was not even relieved when Easy, in bringing the newcomers up to date, left the question of the missing helmsmen unmentioned.

Her account was interrupted by Dondragmer’s voice.

“Borndender says that he has checked the density and boiling temperature of the liquid in the stream, and that it about three eights ammonia and five eights water. He also says that the outside temperature is 71, the pressure 26.6 standard atmospheres — our standard, of course — and the wind a little north of west, 21 degrees to be more precise, at 120 cables per hour. A very light breeze. Will that suffice for your computer?”

“It will all help. I’m on my way,” replied McDevitt as he slid from his seat and headed toward the door. As he reached the exit he looked back thoughtfully, paused and called, “Benj, I hate to pull you from the screens right now, but I think you’d better come with me for a while. You should check me on the input, and you can bring the preliminary run back to report to Dondragmer while I do the recheck.”

Easy kept her approval to herself as Benj silently followed his nominal chief. The approval was divided between McDevitt, for veering the youngster’s attention in a safe direction, and her son for a better example of self-control than she had really expected. She had known, of course, that he would not whine or throw a tantrum, but she would not have been surprised if he had come up with a reasonable excuse for staying at the screens.

Aucoin paid no attention to the exchange; he was still trying to clarify his picture of the current state of affairs.

“I take it that none of the missing personnel has turned up,” he said. “All right, I’ve been thinking it over. I assume that Barlennan had been up to date, as we agreed a few hours ago. Is there anything else which has happened, and which he has been told about but I haven’t?” Easy looked up quickly, trying to catch evidence of the resentment on the administrator’s face, but he seemed unaware that his words could possibly have been interpreted as criticism. She thought quickly before answering.

“Yes. Roughly three hours ago, Cavanaugh reported action on one of the Esket screens. He saw a couple of objects sliding or rolling across the floor of the laboratory from one side of the screen to the other. I started watching but nothing has happened there since.

“Then an hour or so later, the search party Don had out for the missing helicopters met a Mesklinite which we, of course, took at first to be one of the pilots; but when he got close to the transmitter I recognized Kabremm, the first officer of the Esket.”

“Six thousand miles from where the Esket’s crew is supposed to have died?”

“Yes.”

“What was his comment?”

“Nothing specific. He acknowledged the whole report, but didn’t offer any theories.”

“He didn’t even ask you how sure you were of the identification? Or on what you based it?”

“No.”

“Well, if you don’t mind I’d like to. Just how did you know Kabremm, and how certain are you that you were right?”

“I knew him, before the loss of the Esket, well enough to make it difficult to say what I went by — he’s simply distinctive, in color pattern and stance and walk, just as you and Ib and Boyd are.”

“The light was good enough for color pattern? It’s night down there.”

There were lights near the set — though most of them were in front of it, in the field of view, and Kabremm was most backlighted.”

“Do you know the two missing men well enough to be certain it was neither of them — do you know neither one looks like Kabremm?”