So they
were able to spot the exact valley and tell us where to come down. We
actually spotted this valley last night, but we couldn't land in the
dark."
Cochrane felt abashed.
"I couldn't have done that job," he admitted, "so I didn't think anybody
could. Hm. Didn't all this cost a lot of fuel?"
Jones actually smiled.
"I worked out something. We don't use as much fuel as we did. We're
probably using too much now. Al--go ahead and lift. I want to check what
the new stuff does, anyhow. Take off!"
The pilot threw a switch, and Jones threw another, a newly installed
one, just added to his improvised control-column. A light glowed
brightly. Al pressed one button, very gently. A roaring set up outside.
The ship started up. There was practically no feeling of acceleration,
this time. The ship rose lightly. Even the rocket-roar was mild indeed,
compared to its take-off from Luna and the sound of its first landing on
the planet just below.
Cochrane saw the valley floors recede, and mountain-walls drop below.
From all directions, then, vegetation-filled valleys flowed toward the
ship, and underneath. Glaciers appeared, and volcanic cones, and then
enormous stretches of white, with smoking dots here and there upon it.
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