The others were waking now. For a few moments the cell was a babble of
questions. One of the Zarno came briefly to the grill in the door and
looked in. Shocked quiet greeted him.
After he had gone, Garth took advantage of the silence to say, "I'll
tell you what's been going on, and then I'm going to sleep. I'll go to
sleep anyway, unless I talk fast. I'm dead beat."
Sampson squinted at the door. "Tough customers. Shoot, Garth. I've got
a hunch we're in a bad spot."
"We are. Listen--" Briefly Garth explained what had happened.
There were questions and counter-questions.
"You can speak their lingo, eh?"
"That won't help, Brown."
"They can't be invulnerable."
"They are--to our weapons. Silicate life!"
"When will they--sacrifice us?" Paula asked, a little shaken, though
she tried not to show it.
Garth shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I can talk 'em out of it. God
knows. They worship the gods--the Ancients, I suppose--but they know
we're not gods. So that's that."
"Well--"
* * * * *
They talked inconclusively. Sampson casually wandered over to the door,
found a twisted scrap of wire, and used it on the lock. After a while
he called softly to the others.
"This thing's a snap. It won't keep us in here."