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contained,” Kris said, trying not to shiver. She glanced up to see the position of the sun. “I move we get back to the vehicle and out of here. I don’t want my next place of residence to be that lake.”
    So they put out the fire and retraced their steps to the barrier.
    â€œStart up,” Zainal told the others. “Whitby, with me. I look closer at stream…”
    The two trotted down the other end of the valley. Kris, Leila, and Slav made the first ascent on the ropes. When Kris gratefully reached the top, she could see Zainal and Whitby having quite a gawk where the stream went through the bluff. The water boiled up over whatever outlet there was for its flow and made a wide pond at cliff base. She wondered what Zainal had hoped to learn from scrutiny. As soon as Fek, Sarah, and Joe joinedthem, they continued on up the cliff, reaching the top just as Zainal and Whitby surmounted the slanted barrier and began to unhitch the rappel equipment. The others started down to the vehicle but Kris waited for Zainal and Whitby.
    â€œWell?” she asked as Zainal pulled himself up beside her.
    â€œSomething could swim through underneath,” he said.
    â€œHave to have been damned desperate to take such a risk,” Whitby added, “unless you’ve some amphibious species here you haven’t told me about yet.”
    â€œOn Earth large carnivores will swim,” Kris said.
    â€œOn Earth,” Whitby agreed, nodding as he mopped his forehead and face. He looked back down at the daunting rock face. “If whatever it was had nothing left to eat, even the fish, possibly it would take such a risk. But I would still rather not meet whatever it was. Let’s take a look at that aerial—”
    His words were broken off by the loud buzz of Zainal’s portable.
    â€œWorrell here. You guys all right?” The Aussie was shouting into the speaker.
    â€œYes, all right. Deep in a valley all day,” Zainal explained.
    â€œOh. Well, a problem dropped in here the other night,” he said. “And you’re needed back as fast as you can make it, Zainal.”
    â€œWhat sort of problem?” Zainal asked but Kris thought from the twinkle in his eyes that he had some idea. “They look for me?”
    â€œWe think so. Only they weren’t briefed proper.”
    â€œNight crawlers?” Zainal asked, and grinned when Kris shuddered.
    â€œYou bet,” and Worrell sounded pleased. “And someone’s asking them questions on the portable comunit that was about all that was left of them…barringthe shoes. Leon told whoever called that you weren’t here and they were still looking.”
    â€œYou want me to give myself up?”
    If Zainal hadn’t been grinning like a loon, Kris would have gasped.
    â€œHell no, Zainal,” and Worrell’s tone was indignant. “Chuck’s got an idea.”
    â€œI wonder if we have the same one,” Zainal said, winking at Kris. “We come as fast as possible.”
    â€œFind anything good?”
    â€œTell you when we get there.”
    Worrell disconnected and Zainal replaced the unit in its pouch, fastening the flap.
    â€œShould I know what I just heard?” Whitby asked respectfully, but his curiosity was apparent.
    â€œWhy not?” Zainal said with a shrug, and nodded to Kris to explain.
    Whitby had breath for a good chuckle over, “I drop, I stay,” and Zainal’s demonstration about the night crawlers and showing the hand unit that proved the planet possibly had another owner.
    The question which Whitby did not ask, nor did Kris volunteer to answer since she didn’t know it, was what duty was so important that Zainal had to be abducted by stealth.
    They had reached the ground now.
    â€œWe go back to camp as fast as we can,” Zainal said.
    â€œWe’re five days away,” Joe protested.
    â€œWe took side trips up here,” Zainal reminded him.