"I was wondering if any of you had noticed what I did."
"What do you mean?"
Dick started to answer, stopped, rose. "Come," he said. "It's dark.
I'll show you."
They followed him out to the porch. From there the Wilkes settlement
could not ordinarily be seen. Which is why, as they stood there, one
and all gasped astonishment.
The thick, black Erosian night lay heavy about them everywhere
except in the direction of the Wilkes' new home. There it was light;
startlingly, dazzlingly, brilliantly gay and bright! Like a great white
dawn on the river's edge.
"Power!" cried Pop. "Atomic power! They must have a hypatomic!"
"They never said they hadn't. They told us their spaceship cracked up;
we just took it for granted that since we hadn't been able to salvage
our hypatomic, neither could they."
Bobby said wonderingly, "Gee, Pop, it looks like at home, doesn't it? I
forgot lights were so bright."
Pop said, "I'm afraid we've underestimated our competitors, son. If
they have power, they can accomplish all we have, and more! And in
one-tenth the time."
"That's just," said Dick slowly, "what I'm afraid of. There's only one
answer to this challenge. I've _got_ to get our hypatomic from the
_Cuchulainn_. And quickly."
"But you said--"
"I know what I said. But I also know what they can do. In three days
they can have a house ... a fine, big, plastic house that will make our
hand-hewn log cabin look like a cowshed. They'll have electricity,
fuel, running water, all the things we've had to do without. When the
inspectors see their house and compare it with ours--Mom--get me my
bulger. I'm leaving for the north shore."
"Tonight, Richard?"
"Immediately."