Oberholzer looked from one to the other, his expression betraying perhaps only disgust, or perhaps blank incom-prehensionit was impossible to tell. Then, with a sudden sharp snick which made them both start, he shot closed the safety catch on the Sussmann.
“Well,” he said in a smooth cold empty voice, “now we know what we’ll eat.”
4
Their basic and dangerous division of plans and purposes began with that.
Sergeant Oberholzer was not a fool, as the hash marks on his sleeve and the battle stars on his ribbons attested plainly; he understood the implications of what the Callean had saidat least after the Momma’s boy had interpreted them; and he was shrewd enough not to undervalue the con-tribution the poor terrified fairy had made to their possible survival on this world. For the moment, however, it suited the Marine to play the role of the dumb sergeant to the hilt. If a full understanding of what the Calleans were like might reduce him to a like state of trembling impotence, he could do without it.
Not that he really believed that any such thing could happen to him; but it was not hard to see that Momma’s boys were halfway there alreadyand if the party as a whole hoped to get anything done, they had to be jolted out of it as fast as possible.
At first he thought he had made it. “Certainly noti” the Consort of State said indignantly. “You’re a man, sergeant, not a Callean. Nothing the Calleans do is any excuse for your behaving otherwise than as a man.”
“I’d rather eat an enemy than a friend,” Oberholzer said cryptically. “Have you got any supplies inside there?”