Page:Fantastic Volume 08 Number 01.djvu/60

 eral shifts. But at about twelve inches down I suddenly broke through, and found myself looking into a black hole. Considering the misadventure to the ship, it seemed possible that the place was honeycombed with such cavities. I enlarged the hole until I was able to slide poor Raul into it. Then I blocked the opening with a slab of caked sand, covered it as best I could, and went back to the ship again.

I came out of the airlock to find that Camilo was now awake—not only awake, but sitting up on his couch, regarding me with nervous intensity.

"I don't like Martians," he said.

I looked at him more carefully. His expression was serious, and not at all friendly.

"I don't suppose I would, either," I admitted, keeping my tone matter-of-fact.

His expression became puzzled, then wary. He shook his head.

"Very cunning lot, you Martians," he remarked.

After we had had a meal he seemed a little better, though from time to time I caught him watching me carefully out of the corner of his eye. Indeed, he was paying so much attention to me that it was some time before it occurred to him that there should be three of us.

"Where's Raul?" he asked. I explained what had happened to Raul, showed him the switch lever that had done the fatal damage, and pointed out through the port the place where Raul now lay. He listened closely, and nodded several times, though not always where a nod seemed appropriate. It was difficult to know whether he was not quite grasping the situation, or whether he was making reservations of his own. He did not show distress about Raul, only a quiet thoughtfulness, and after he had sat in silent rumination on the matter for a quarter of an hour, it began to get on my nerves.

To break it up, I showed him the radio transmitter.

"It's taken a pretty nasty bash," I said, somewhat unnecessarily. "Do you think you can get it going again?"

Camilo looked it over for some minutes.

"It certainly has," he agreed.

"Yes," I said impatiently, "but the point is, can you fix it?"

He turned his head, and looked at me steadily.

"You want to get into touch with Earth," he announced. 60