"That's the understatement of the century," Hardwick commented. "Yes. It will. Why?" "You've something in mind, sir, to try to save the rest of the island. Nobody else seems to know what to do. If ... if I may say so, sir, your ... safety is pretty important. And you could do your work on the cliffs, sir, and ... if I could stay at Headquarters and--" He stopped, appalled at his own presumption in suggesting that he could substitute for a Senior Officer even as a message-boy, and even for his convenience or safety. He began to stammer: "I m-mean, sir, n-not that I'm capable of it, sir--" "Stop stammering," grunted Hardwick. "There aren't two separate problems. There's one which is the compound of the two. I'm staying at Headquarters to try something on the ship-fuel side, and Werner will specialize on the rest of the island since he hasn't come up with anything but shifting people to the ice pack. And the situation isn't hopeless! If there's an earthquake or a storm, of course we'll be wiped out. But short of one of those calamities, we can save part of the island. I don't know how much, but some. You make those measurements. If you're doubtful, get a Headquarters man to duplicate them. Then give me both sets." "Y-yes, sir," said Young Barnes, miserably. "And," said Hardwick formidably. "Never try to push your ranking officer into a safe place, even if you're willing to take his risk! Would you like it if a man under you tried to put you in a safe place while he took the chance that was yours?" "N-no, sir!" admitted the very junior lieutenant. "But--" "Make those measurements!" snapped Hardwick. * * * * * The boat came into the dock. Hardwick got out of the boat. He went to Sandringham's office. Sandringham was in the act of listening to somebody in the phone-screen, who apparently was on the thin edge of hysteria. The brown dog was sprawled asleep on the rug. When the man in the vision-screen panted to a stop, Sandringham said calmly: "I am assured that before the soil of the island is too far gone, measures now in preparation will be applied to good effect. A Senior Survey Officer is now preparing remedial measures. He is a ... ah ... specialist in problems of exactly this nature." "_But we can't wait!_" panted the civilian fiercely. "_I'll proclaim a planetary emergency! We'll take over the reserve area by force! We have to_--" "If you try," Sandringham told him grimly, "I'll mount paralysis-guns to stop you!" He said with icy precision: "I urged the planetary government to go easy on this irrigation! You yourself denounced me in the Planetary Council for trying to interfere in civilian affairs! Now you want to interfere in Survey affairs! I resent it as much as you did, and with much better reason!" "_Murderer!_" panted the civilian. "_Murderer!_" Sandringham snapped off the phone-screen. He swung his chair and nodded to Hardwick. "That was the planetary president," he said dryly.