Dismal-looking, even through the amber glass, the miserable panorama rolled away from them. A quarter-mile away, the meadow ended at the rim of a small ridge, beyond which a hill dipped down--down across the roof of a purple-brown saroo forest that merged with an abyss of swirling green fog that swallowed up the horizon. In the foreground, a few packing cases lay scattered about in front of a large white hemisphere topped by a radio antenna and American flag. It was all there, exactly the way it had been left by the military almost six months ago. "That's a permanent building," Carl said to no one in particular. "Just before we evacuated, Colonel Brophy stocked it up with all our excess supplies, just on the chance someone might be crazy enough to come back here. We even left the separator running when we left. So take a good look at it, 'cause inside that bubble is the only breath of air on the whole planet." "Very nice of the military," Ferguson commented dryly. "Let's hope we won't have to use it long," Dr. Hamlin said. Carl looked out the port. Rain, that doused the planet almost twenty hours a day, had started to fall, settling in small puddles at the base of the ship and drenching the broad-leafed saroo trees. "I wouldn't bet on it," he said. As if in a trance, Diane continued to stare at the melancholy landscape. "It's more that awful color than anything else," she said finally. "It makes everything seem so angry looking. How about the rest of the planet? Is it all like this?" "No," Carl said, "it's not all like this. That's the trouble. This is one of the more livable spots. That's why it was chosen by the military. Roughly ten percent of the planet lies above water, but out of that, only five percent of the terrain is in the visual belt." "I'll play the straight man," Ferguson said. "Tell us, Captain, what is the visual belt?" "The visual belt represents the altitude from approximately three to four thousand feet above sea level," Carl told him. "Below that you have the green ground haze you see over the tops of those trees, and above it is the ten-mile-thick layer of clouds that never lift. Both are so thick, that except around the fringe areas, you can't even count your own fingers." "Nice place to take your girl for a walk," Ferguson said, looking at Diane pointedly. "Is anyone interested in what I think?" Spero said suddenly. "Think away," Carl said. "Who's there to stop you?" "That's exactly what I'd like to talk about," Spero said grimly. "It seems to me that for a fellow who left his rank back at the separation center, you've certainly been assuming a lot of authority around here." Carl felt a warm flush rising to his cheekbones. "We've been in space," he said. "The pilot of a ship is responsible for the actions of everyone aboard."