Dimenon, looking untouched by the previous evening's carousal, arrived in the main dome with Margit, both suited up and ready to return to their base. They ate quickly, wanting to make an early start back, but as they were leaving, Dimenon asked Kai when he expected to contact the Theks again. He did not seem disturbed when Kai gave a time three days later.
"Well, let us know how EV appreciates our labours on this stinking planet. Although " Dimenon frowned and felt his nostrils, "Rake it! I forgot to put "em in again!"
Smell anything? asked Kai, amused.
Dimenon's eyes began to widen and his mouth dropped in exaggerated reaction.
I've got used to the stench! He roared the statement, full of aggrieved incredulity. Kai, please, when you've got through to EV, have them pick us up before schedule? Please, I've got used to the stench of hydro-telluride. He clutched at his throat now, contorting his face as though in terminal agony, I can't stand it. I can't stand it.
Lunzie, who was literal minded, came rushing up, frowning with anxiety while Kai tried to gesture reassurance. Others were grinning at Dimenon's histrionics but the heavy-worlders, after uninterested glances at the geologist, turned back to their own quiet-toned discussions. Lunzie still hadn't realized that Dimenon was acting. He grabbed at her shoulders now.
Tell me, Lunzie, tell me I'm not a goner. My sense of smell'll come back, won't it. Once I'm in decent air? Oh, don't tell me I'll never be able to smell nothing in the air again . . .
If the acclimitization should be permanent, you could always get an Iretan air-conditioning for your shipboard quarters, Lunzie replied, apparently in earnest.
Dimenon looked horrified and, for a moment, didn't catch the brand of the physician's humour.
C'mon, partner, you've been bested, said Margit, taking him by the arm. Better to smell the sweet air of another find . . .
Could you get so used to Iretan stink you'd never smell normal again? Bonnard asked Lunzie, a little worried as he watched the two geologists leave.
No, said Lunzie with a dry chuckle. The smell is powerful but I doubt There's any permanent desensitization. The temporary effect is somewhat of a blessing. Do you have it?
Bonnard nodded uncertainly. But I didn't know I couldn't smell it anymore until Dimenon mentioned it. This worried him.
Since you are now used to the overbearing smell, see if you can now distinguish other, previously unsensed odours, while you're out and about today.
Worse ones? Bonnard regarded Lunzie, appalled.
I can smell a difference in the blossoms I've been cataloguing, said Terilla. And some of the leaves have an odour if you crush 'em. Not too bad a smell, really, she added helpfully.
That morning Kai checked with Lunzie about stores. She was not the sort of person to give spot replies and together they went to the store hold.
I'm not missing any of the fruit distillation, if that's what you're worried about, Kai, she said in her direct fashion. We've not made too many inroads in the subsistence supplies, either. I've been gradually phasing them out entirely, in favour of local protein.
You have? Kai was surprised.
You hadn't noticed? There was a slight emphasis on the pronoun. Lunzie smiled briefly with pleasure at the success of her programme. We are losing hard goods, though, at a rate which worries me.
Hard goods?
Knives, film and sheet extruders, spare charges for life-belts . . .
What did the secondary camps take?
Not enough to account for some of these items. Unless, of course, they haven't reported the losses and have merely helped themselves when I was busy elsewhere. That solution sounded plausible. If I may, I'll appoint Cleiti as requisitions officer and have her on hand when anyone needs to Visit the supply hold. We can keep a check that way without giving offence . . .
Or warning, thought Kai, and then decided that his imagination was working overtime. He did need that day's respite.
Varian returned to the camp from one of her search and identity sweeps early in the afternoon before rest day. She cornered Kai in his dome, scornfully clacking the tape holders that were stacked in front of him, tugging at the seismic print-out on the volcanic action in the north-west which he had been studying. Pressures were mounting on a long transform fault and he was hoping they'd have enough warning to be able to observe the earthquake when the phenomenon occurred.
Leave that, Kai. You can zip through report work a lot faster with a fresh mind.
It's early yet . . .
"Raking right it is. I got back special so I could pry you out of here before the teams come in and dump such glowing reports on you that you feel obliged to listen." She went back to the iris lock. "Cleiti! Did you organize those supplies for us? And where's Bonnard?" The reply was inaudible to Kai but satisfactory to Varian who nodded. If he's sure he's got what he needs, tell him to pack it into the sled beside my things. Kai, where's your pack? Ha! Thought so. Okay, what do you need?"
Varian moved purposefully to his storage chest so that Kai pushed back his stool and waved her away. She stood, grinning but adamant, while he packed what he needed into his sleep sack, and gathered up his safety gear. With a courteous sweep of his hand, he indicated he was ready.
I knew I'd have to haul you out of here. Varian sounded grimly smug.
Then what are you dragging your feet for? asked Kai with a smile and exited before her. As an afterthought, he thumblocked the iris control. He didn't really want anyone to happen across the message tapes with the Theks.
As Varian neatly swung the big sled over the encampment, sparkling with the blue demise of insects, she groaned. We should have brought a small unit for tonight. We'll have to sleep in belt screens!
Not if we sack out on the sled floor, said Bonnard, eyeing the space. I think There's room enough if we stack our supplies on the front seating and remove the side benches. Shall I activate the telltale?
This once, we'll leave it silent, said Varian. There wouldn't be anything untagged this close to camp anyway.
A companionable silence enveloped the three and lasted the entire trip to the inland sea which they reached just as the last speck of gloom, as Bonnard phrased it, began to fade from the sullen skies. Varian had marked a good landing site, a shallow terrace beyond and below the main congregation of the giffs but with a fine view of the summit where the netted fish were deposited.
The first hour after sunset there was a brief surcease of daytime insect activity before the nocturnal creatures became a menace. During this interim, Varian heated their evening meal on the bare stone terrace. Then, to the amazement of Bonnard and the consternation of Kai, she removed dead branches from the storage section of the sled and lit a small fire.
Campfire is very comforting even if you ship-bred types think it's atavistic. My father and I used to have one every night on our expeditions.
It's very pretty, said Bonnard in a tentative tone, and looked towards Kai to see his reaction.
Kai smiled and told himself to relax. Fire on shipboard was a hazard: his instant reflex had been to grab something to smother the flames, but as he eyed the small fire, which posed no danger to him, the dancing spikes were pleasantly hypnotic. The small warmth it exuded gave them a circle of light and certainly kept the insects away.
The oldest belt-screen in the world, Varian said, poking the fire to fresh vigour with a stick. On Protheon, they were particular about their firewoods, choosing those which gave off pleasant aromas. They liked scent with their warmth and light. I wouldn't dare try that on Ireta.