Two klomters toward the blue blur of Voy, a hundred meters out from the tree, green-clad men emerged from the fog. They flew along the bark, peering into cracks as they passed. At this distance Rather could see only that they were five jungle giants, and armed.

They saw him. Their legs stopped moving, though their motion continued. Closer now. One was a woman . . .

Then they were kicking again, turning back toward the storm that was reaching to engulf the tree.

He could catch them. They couldn't know about the silver suit. His tanks were full. Rather fired his boot jets; his course became an arc.

He could catch them. Then what? Kill them? Rather's parents had both killed. They didn't like talking about it. When they did, old anger distorted their faces. Yet this was the Silver Man's duty: from time to time, he killed.

One of the intruders looked back, and then all five were kicking madly, doubling their speed.

His arms were full of harpoons, hampered, while Debby and Carlot and Booce had no weapons at all. Rather swung back toward his crew.

He thumped into the bark not far from Booce. Carlot was looking at him oddly. He opened his helmet and said, "It's me. Five of them almost found you. What happened?"

"Happyfeet," Booce said. "A small jungle, steampowered. Lupoff family, from the look of them. They want the Wart."

Rather thumbed his personal Voice on. "Silver Man calling the Scientist. Jeffer, they want the Wart. Go for that."

Nothing.

"They can't hear me. Booce, I'll guard you on the surface, but I don't think they'll be back. They looked like they were running."

Booce grinned. "They thought you were Navy."

"What?"

"Skip it."

Rather settled himself on the bark above their heads. Helmet closed. The invulnerable warrior (and Carlot had looked at him as at some alien bird). But the happyfeet warriors were gone from sight.

The storm enclosed the tree. The fringe of it was a fine mist, just beginning to obscure vision. / wish I could use those other kinds of light Kendy sees by. And the ventral camera's almost blind . . . hydrogen low, oxygen low, water volume low but increasing. We should have built a pump by now. Hey- "What's that?"

Clave looked. "Jungle. Small. Just opposite the Wart."

Now Jeffer spotted green dots around the puckered bark. Men, and one was pointing toward the CARM.

The voice of Kendy startled him. "I'm scanning in infrared. I can't see anything human outside of the Wart area. Take the CARM closer. Give me a view."

Jeffer accelerated in. He asked, "Did you just come into range?"

"Yes. I'm running the record of your approach. You should have killed the invaders on the east side. They could attack your people."

As the CARM approached, the jungle jetted away on a trail of steam: north into the storm, then around the trunk, steam spraying in a wide curve. It was hidden before the CARM arrived.