The Peregrine went on across space. Her crew worked hard, repairing, restoring-preparidg for Ahatever might lie at joiimey’s end. Joachim drove them ruthlessly less to get the job done than to take their minds off danger.
Near the end of the third day, they went out of hyperdrive and accelerated inward. The instruments peered and murmured, and clicked forth a picture of the system. Eight worlds were detected. One of them circled its primary at a distance of slightly over one astronomical unit, and the ship moved toward it, matching velocities as she neared. Telescopes, spectroscopes, and gravitometers strained ahead during the hours of flight.
There was no sign of atomic energy; and as the Peregrine took up an orbit around her destination, there was no other ship. The crew gathered at the viewers for a look at the planet.
It was Earthlike to manv points of classification. It was a serene and lovely sight as they approached; against the naked blaze of the stars, it was a sign for peace.
Joachim directed an orbit some thousand kilometers up, using gravity drive to remain above a chosen s-ot. “It looks pretty,” he said. “We’ll send down a boatful of scouts.
I think Ilaloa should go with them. That telepathy or whatever-it-is of hers may pick up something. Then Sean will have to go, too. And you, Micah; you’re trained to spot aliens.”
“I’m quite willing,” said the Coordinator, “but if I go, you’ll have to tie up Nicl