The Mystery of Ireta_ Dinosaur Planet & Dinosaur Planet Survivors - Anne McCaffrey [46]
“It might not have been the drink.”
“What do you mean?”
Varian shrugged. “Just a notion. Nothing specific.”
“Then let us find a specific, and have Lunzie run a few tests. It might be a mutational allergy. Say, did you send the heavy-worlders on any errands today? In the north?”
“North? No. They were at your disposal today. Now, about the pitchblende site. You’ll be working from there again tomorrow? Okay, then I’ll send a team in for a ground check. There seem to be only smaller animals, not, as I’ve told the youngsters, that size is any indication of potential danger. What other area do you want us to check out xenobiologically as a possible secondary base?”
Kai tapped out of the computer the print of Gaber’s chart, updated now with the pitchblende site and the old cores.
“The shield edge is only two hundred kilometers to the northwest from here, so we won’t need a secondary camp there yet. But Portegin and Aulia want to examine these lakes and go farther into this flatland area. Berru and Triv are scheduled to go due west, where there appears to be a wide continental basin. Might have petroleum pools: not as rich an energy source, naturally, but crude oil has uses. We might be able to refine enough to use as an auxiliary fuel for the . . .”
“Kai, did anyone use the big sled for any length of time this morning?”
“Just to reach the site. Then it was turned over to you. Why?”
“Because its elapsed flight time is longer than it should have been. Damned thing’s due now for a power charge.”
“So?”
“I dunno. Just that I don’t usually make errors in my figures.”
“We’ve enough worries, Varian, without imagining more.”
Varian grimaced. “Like no contact with EV. Your teams’ll be expecting some acknowledgement . . .”
“We’ve got some leeway, and I’ll use every day of it.”
“Yes, we do have stall time, don’t we. By the way, those youngsters were very useful to me. I think I’ll opt them again when I don’t need to land,” she hastily added as she saw the objections forming in Kai’s startled face. “You might even consider,” and she grinned slyly, “taking Bonnard with you on a coring expedition.”
“Now just a minute, Varian . . .”
“They do say that overexposure cures a lot of fancies.”
“True. How about helping me with that message to the Theks?”
“Sorry, Kai, I’ve got to release Mabel, check with Lunzie and get a wash before eating.” Varian quickly opened the iris. “But I’d be happy to look over what you plan to say.”
He made as if to throw something at her but she scampered away, laughing.
An hour later, he was certain that Varian at her worst could have constructed a better message to the Theks. It covered the main points and requested the return information required.
He beamed the message, confirming a contact hour two days later. It didn’t give Theks much time to meditate their answers, but he had specified only yes, no or deferred answers.
The next day went as scheduled, the heavy-worlders restored to operating efficiency. Tardma and Tanegli did a ground survey of the densely vegetated area where small life forms had been telltagged by Varian and the youngsters. The creatures had maintained their anonymity but skeletal remains not yet disintegrated by insects and carrion-eaters indicated that, while carnivorous, the creatures were probably nocturnal hunters and not large enough to constitute a real danger. Further, they were unlikely to be caught so far from their own territory as the secondary camp. Kai spent the afternoon with Dimenon and Margit choosing a site. It was decided that Portegin and Aulia could also use the camp for their westerly investigations.
Lunzie told Kai and Varian confidentially that the heavy-worlders ought to have had a higher tolerance for the fruit drink than the light-grav or ship-bred. She