Lamoureux, in a daze, complied. They were only an hour's journey from the ship, and, under Kalinoff's urging, they made it in forty minutes. Carvalho, looking terrified of the two Mercurians who were standing over him with their teeth showing, yelled, "Help!" "Never mind him," Kalinoff ordered. "Hop into the ship." "But what are we going to do with him?" "Well, what's he been up to?" * * * * * Lamoureux explained briefly, and Kalinoff grunted. "You fellows are a bunch of screwballs, setting out on an expedition like this without proper equipment and proper information about Mercury." At the word "screwballs," Lamoureux winced, but remained silent. Maybe it _was_ deserved. Kalinoff went on, "As for Carvalho, that's simple. Leave him behind. He intended to maroon you, didn't he? Maroon him instead. But first let him send one interplanetary radio message to his friends." "In code? We won't know what it is!" Kalinoff grinned. "We'll leave his punishment up to him. Suppose he reports you've found me. Then his pals won't come for him, and he's going to stay here indefinitely." "What if he reports you _haven't_ been found?" "Then they come for him, discover he's a liar, and there's hell to pay. Either way, he's in for a lousy time." "They'll murder him." "Oh, no. We'll let them know that we're reporting the facts of the case to the Interplanetary Commission. They'd never dare commit murder." Lamoureux objected doubtfully, "Wouldn't the Mercurians kill him?" "If he treats them right, they'll treat him right. They're not as intelligent as I thought at first--maybe you've discovered that--but they have their points." "They're wonderful chess players." "Fair," said Kalinoff critically. "Only fair. I always beat them, but then, naturally, I'm very good. Maybe that's why they admire me. They have great mathematical abilities, and they can visualize well, but their language is primitive and in some ways they're halfwits. There have been plenty of mathematical prodigies on Earth just like them--wonders at calculating, and fools at everything else. To hell with them. Let's get started." "Wait a minute, Kalinoff. What about those huge beasts? Won't they be dangerous to Carvalho?" "Oh, them." Kalinoff chuckled. "I certainly gave you some off-beam instructions before that radio of mine went on the blink. I really thought at first that those two mountains I described with the saddlebacked ridge between them would make a good landmark. Two days afterward, I discovered that the ridges were living creatures. The things have a habit of sheltering themselves from the Sun between a pair of mountains. They wrap their necks around their bodies, tuck their heads beside them, and you'd never know they were alive. They don't move for days at a time." "But when they _do_ move--" "Leave them alone, and they leave you alone." * * * * * The Captain asked, "What about the rain and snow?"