Someone was breathing loudly. At length, Major Winship said
reflectively, "Why do you suppose they would try to calk it from the
outside?"
Again silence. Major Winship asked the question. "Okay. Let's have it.
How's the other little dome?"
"Other one? Oh, sorry," Capt. Lawler said. "It looks all right."
"It better _be_ all right," Lt. Chandler said.
* * * * *
In the end, the eleven of them were crowded into the one remaining
operational structure of the four available on the moon at sunrise.
For perhaps the tenth time, General Finogenov offered his apologies.
He and Major Winship were huddled side by side in a corner. They were
drinking vodka.
"Plenty of everything," General Finogenov said. "Don't concern
yourself, Major. Air, food, water, we have more than enough for a
prolonged siege."
"Accidents will happen."
"Exactly," said General Finogenov, pouring more vodka for himself.
"Glad you understand." He put the empty bottle down. "We will have
another one next week. In the meantime--I very much regret the
inconvenience. Plenty of food, water, air, though. Pinov! Pinov! Vodka!"
Pinov answered in Russian.
General Finogenov frowned. "Dear, dear," he said. "I'm afraid this must
be our last one, Major. You see, while we have plenty of everything
else, we are, you see.... The truth of the matter is, we didn't foresee
visitors. Unfortunately, we have no more vodka."
"No more vodka," said General Finogenov. He stared morosely into the
inky distance. "Major Winship, I have a confession. Oh, that second one
was a beauty. You didn't feel it?"
"Our leak sprang on the first one. The second was quite mild, we
thought."
"We were right on the fault line," General Finogenov said. "As you
Americans say, it was a beauty. I have a confession. One must admit
one's mistakes."
"Yes?"
"We used much too large a bomb," he said.
"I'm with you," Lt. Chandler chimed in from somewhere out of the
darkness. "But when do you think you're going to get the lights fixed?"