appropriate for making new ones.
‘I believe that a trip southward, say about the time fall is due, would be consistent with our purpose,’ Gribardsun said. He chewed on a piece of rare-cooked ibex steak for a moment and then said, ‘We could travel swiftly to get away from the effects of winter here. Winter farther south won’t be so severe that we can’t travel. And I think we should take a look at the land bridge and at North Africa.’
‘Isn’t that rather dangerous, putting ourselves so far away from our vessel?’ Drummond said. ‘I admit the scientific desirability of studying the southern area. But we must weigh the possible results against the chances of killing ourselves off and so ruining the entire expedition. After all, the power spent on getting us here and back, the fact that this is absolutely the only chance we’ll get for a personal look into the Magdalenian period - well, I don’t think we should get too far away from our base of operations. Here we have the situation well in hand. But if we wander around, just four of us, we’re subject to attack, to accident, to many things. We might be cut off. We might…’
‘Anything that could happen south could happen here,’ Gribardsun said. ‘Let’s think about it. We have a month before autumn comes. We’ll consider the feasibility of austral explorations then.’
‘Meanwhile,’ von Billmann said, ‘I’d like to record the language of the Wotagrub. Do you think it would be all right if I returned with these two?’
‘Why not?’ Gribardsun said. ‘But I’d like you to collect some animal specimens, too, including entomological specimens, if you could. And get samples of the blood of the Wotagrub if you can. Don’t push too hard at first about that, though.’
The German was delighted. He stood up and said, I’ll get my tent and recorder and other equipment and leave as soon as possible.’
‘Sometime tomorrow,’ Gribardsun said, smiling. ‘We have some things to thresh out, a policy to determine regarding the Wotagrub. It’s necessary that everybody understand exactly where we stand. And that won’t be easy, since we have to communicate with the Wotagrub through signs.’
It was late when the fires were allowed to dim and the time travelers, the elders, and the two strangers went to bed. But Gribardsun was satisfied that everybody understood, in general, what the relationship of the two tribes was to be.
The following afternoon, von Billmann, carrying a large pack on the duraluminum rack on his back, walked off with the two strangers. They also carried packs, the German’s equipment and supplies. Von Billmann was exhilarated, and he joked with his two companions. They could not understand a word he said, of course, but they understood his joy, and they smiled back at him.
Rachel, watching him march off between them, said, ‘Do you really think that it’s wise to let him go off alone, John?’
He did not answer. He had a habit, annoying to her, of not answering questions if he thought they didn’t deserve an answer.
Rachel bit her lip and looked at Drummond. He shrugged and moved away. He knew that she wanted him to give her moral support when she questioned Gribardsun about his past. But von Billmann had left them so suddenly that they felt weakened. It had been easy to talk about the questions they would ask Gribardsun when he returned. But now that he was here, he seemed formidable. He would doubtless resent their questions and refuse to answer them. And even if he did, then what? The fact was, they were all here together and they must all work together. In any case, Rachel did not credit a word of their absurd suspicions that Gribardsun had somehow got on the expedition through foul play.
Drummond had asked her how she knew. Did she really know the Englishman that well?
Rachel had admitted that she did not, certainly not in any sense that Drummond may have implied. But her feminine intuition, her perceptivity,
‘I believe that a trip southward, say about the time fall is due, would be consistent with our purpose,’ Gribardsun said. He chewed on a piece of rare-cooked ibex steak for a moment and then said, ‘We could travel swiftly to get away from the effects of winter here. Winter farther south won’t be so severe that we can’t travel. And I think we should take a look at the land bridge and at North Africa.’
‘Isn’t that rather dangerous, putting ourselves so far away from our vessel?’ Drummond said. ‘I admit the scientific desirability of studying the southern area. But we must weigh the possible results against the chances of killing ourselves off and so ruining the entire expedition. After all, the power spent on getting us here and back, the fact that this is absolutely the only chance we’ll get for a personal look into the Magdalenian period - well, I don’t think we should get too far away from our base of operations. Here we have the situation well in hand. But if we wander around, just four of us, we’re subject to attack, to accident, to many things. We might be cut off. We might…’
‘Anything that could happen south could happen here,’ Gribardsun said. ‘Let’s think about it. We have a month before autumn comes. We’ll consider the feasibility of austral explorations then.’
‘Meanwhile,’ von Billmann said, ‘I’d like to record the language of the Wotagrub. Do you think it would be all right if I returned with these two?’
‘Why not?’ Gribardsun said. ‘But I’d like you to collect some animal specimens, too, including entomological specimens, if you could. And get samples of the blood of the Wotagrub if you can. Don’t push too hard at first about that, though.’
The German was delighted. He stood up and said, I’ll get my tent and recorder and other equipment and leave as soon as possible.’
‘Sometime tomorrow,’ Gribardsun said, smiling. ‘We have some things to thresh out, a policy to determine regarding the Wotagrub. It’s necessary that everybody understand exactly where we stand. And that won’t be easy, since we have to communicate with the Wotagrub through signs.’
It was late when the fires were allowed to dim and the time travelers, the elders, and the two strangers went to bed. But Gribardsun was satisfied that everybody understood, in general, what the relationship of the two tribes was to be.
The following afternoon, von Billmann, carrying a large pack on the duraluminum rack on his back, walked off with the two strangers. They also carried packs, the German’s equipment and supplies. Von Billmann was exhilarated, and he joked with his two companions. They could not understand a word he said, of course, but they understood his joy, and they smiled back at him.
Rachel, watching him march off between them, said, ‘Do you really think that it’s wise to let him go off alone, John?’
He did not answer. He had a habit, annoying to her, of not answering questions if he thought they didn’t deserve an answer.
Rachel bit her lip and looked at Drummond. He shrugged and moved away. He knew that she wanted him to give her moral support when she questioned Gribardsun about his past. But von Billmann had left them so suddenly that they felt weakened. It had been easy to talk about the questions they would ask Gribardsun when he returned. But now that he was here, he seemed formidable. He would doubtless resent their questions and refuse to answer them. And even if he did, then what? The fact was, they were all here together and they must all work together. In any case, Rachel did not credit a word of their absurd suspicions that Gribardsun had somehow got on the expedition through foul play.
Drummond had asked her how she knew. Did she really know the Englishman that well?
Rachel had admitted that she did not, certainly not in any sense that Drummond may have implied. But her feminine intuition, her perceptivity,
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