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“I said they were dead,” snapped Tipene. “You can’t do anything for dead men, can you?”

“No. But we must have a report to enter on our log, you understand, and—I’ll be very busy on the return trip. I’d like to have your story before we start.” Somehow, I was suspicious of Tipene.

“Very well. Although I warn you I shall report your delay to your superiors.” I shrugged, and led the way to the dining saloon which, small as it was, held chairs enough to seat us all.

“M

“We permitted ourselves to be captured by the Aranians, knowing that our protective suits would prevent them from doing us serious bodily injury.

“You have seen the creatures—word of your adventure with them precipitated our misfortune, I might say here—and you know of their tunnels. We were taken down one of these tunnels, and into a still larger one. This in turn gave onto a veritable subterranean avenue, and, in time, led to a sort of underground metropolis.”

“What?” growled Correy. “An underground city of those things?”