"Honey, this is war," I sighed sadly. "And you and I are the key
figures in it, whether we like it or not."
"I think I'm all clear except on the one point: Why did the boys leave
the _Phobos II_ willingly?"
"Male children, especially that brother of yours, love intrigue and
adventure and secret codes. Clatclit and his ruby-red friends, knowing
they'd pique the kids' curiosity, let them know that they were more
than dumb animals. This, being in direct conflict with all they'd been
taught back on Earth, put them in the enviable position of being 'in
the know.' And kids are quick to pick up new tongues, too. I have no
doubts that within three hours those kids knew more of the sugarfoot
language than I'll learn in a lifetime. Here, they were told, was their
chance to be heroes. Plan B was told to them, and the part they must
play in it. What kid wouldn't go along with a chance to take part in
a real-life adventure? And so, after leaving the evidence that they'd
apparently vanished in space--Clatclit tells me this was one of the
boys' idea; nice kids we grow on Earth!--leaving this baffling trail,
they tramped off after the sugarfeet into the cave, like the happy
youngsters following the Pied Piper."