“Where could we go?” he said. “Supposing that we could fly such a shambles at all?”
“I don’t know,” Oberholzer said. “We don’t know what’s possible yet. But anything’s better than sitting around here and starving. First off, I want that man from the Dragon.”
“I’m opposed to it,” 12-Upjohn said firmly. “The Calleans are leaving us to our own devices now. If we cause any real trouble they may well decide that we’d be safer locked up, or dead. I don’t mind planning to lift ship if we canbut no military expeditions.”
“Sir,” Oberholzer said, “military action on this planet is what I was sent here for. I reserve the right to use my own judgment. You can complain, if we ever get backbut I’m not going to let a man rot in a worm-burrow while I’ve got a gun on my back. You can come along or not, but we’re going.”
He signaled to Cassirir, who seemed to be grinning slightly.
12-Upjohn stared at him for a moment, and then shook his head.
“We’ll stay,” he said. “Since we have no water. Sergeant, I hope you’ll do us the kindness of telling us where your part of the ship lies.”
“That way, about two kilometers,” Oberholzer said. “Help yourself. If you want to settle in there, you’ll save us the trouble of toting Private Hannes with us on a stretcher.”
“Of course,” the Consort of State said. “We’ll take care of him. But, Sergeant …”
“Yes, Your Excellency?”
“If this stunt of yours still leaves us all alive afterwards, and we do get back to any base of ours, I will certainly see to it that a complaint is lodged. I’m not disowning you now because it’s obvious that we’ll all have to work together to survive, and a certain amount of amity will be essential.