"
Cochrane grimaced.
"You wouldn't believe it, Babs."
There was an odd quivering underfoot. Trees shook. There was no other
peculiarity anywhere. Nothing fell. No rocks rolled. In a valley among
volcanoes, where the smoke from no less than six cones could be seen at
once, temblors would not do damage. What damage mild shakings could do
would have been done centuries since.
Babs said uneasily:
"That feels--queer, doesn't it?"
Cochrane nodded. But just as he and Babs had never been conditioned to
be afraid of animals, they had been conditioned by air-travel at home
and space-travel to here against alarm at movements of their
surroundings. Temblors were evidently frequent at this place. Trees were
anchored against them as against prevailing winds in exposed situations.
Landslides did not remain poised to fall. Really unstable slopes had
been shaken down long ago.
"I wish we had a helicopter," Cochrane repeated. "The look of the
mountains as we came down, with glaciers between the smoking cones--that
was good show-stuff! We could have held interest here until we worked
that naming contest. We could use the extra capital that would bring in!
As it is, we've got to move on with practically nothing accomplished.
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