"You know the rules. It's not smart to relax, you idiot."
"All right. So what's the answer?"
"Ask me in Terran."
"All right, Your Highness. I was merely inquiring as to the imminence
of your take-off."
"Don't be insolent! We're taking off as soon as we're all aboard. Now
get along with your work!"
The next voice scared them both out of a year's growth; they had
been straining to hear Carolyn and her companion high above them in
the salon, and now, with every nerve tense, the sound of the ship's
intercom roared at them with terrifying volume. "Carolyn Niles! Go
aloft, will you, and put the--" there came a triple-voiced syllable
"--into stand-by!"
Carolyn's voice replied, "Aye-firm. But look, boys, shouldn't we have
some Terran term for the space drive?"
"We ought to," acknowledged one of the men in the inspection cubby.
"But how do you translate it into Terran terms when they have no term
for it themselves?"