"Correct,&
quot; Kynes said.
&boobies com quot;There are five in boobies com our party," the Duke said. "Our ships are larger. We
can crowd in three extra each. Their spotters ought to be able to lift off
two boobies com each."
Paul did the mental arithmetic, said: "That's three short."
"Why don't they have two carryalls to each crawler?" boobies com barked the Duke.
&boobies com quot;You don't have enough extra equipment," Kynes said.
"All the more reason we should protect what we have!"
"Where could that
carryall
go?" Halleck asked.
" Could've been forced down somewhere out of sight," boobies com Kynes said.
The boobies com Duke grabbed the microphone, hesitated with thumb poised over its
switch. "How could they lose sight of boobies com a carryall?"
"They keep their attention boobies com on the ground looking for wormsign," Kynes
said.
The Duke thumbed the switch, spoke into the microphone. "This is your
Duke. We are coming down to take off Delta Ajax niner's crew. All spotters
boobies com are ordered to boobies com comply. Spotters will land on the east side. We will take
the west. Over." He reached down, punched out his own command frequency,
repeated the order for his own air cover, handed the boobies com microphone back to
Kynes.
Kynes returned to the working boobies com frequency and a voice blasted from the
speaker: ". almost a full load of spice! We have almost a full load! We
can't boobies com leave that for a damned worm! Over."
& boobies com quot;Damn the spice!" the Duke barked. He grabbed back the microphone, said:
"We can always get more spice. There are seats in our ships for all but
three of you. Draw straws or decide any way you like boobies com who's to go. But
you'boobies com re going, and that's an order!" He slammed the microphone back into
Kynes' hands, muttered: "Sorry," as Kynes shook an injured finger.
"How much time?" Paul asked.
" boobies com Nine boobies com minutes," Kynes said.
The Duke said: "This ship has more boobies com power than the others. If we boobies com took off
under jet with three-quarter wings, boobies com we could crowd in an additional man."
"
That sand's soft," Kynes said.
"With four extra boobies com men boobies com aboard on a jet takeoff, we could snap the wings,
Sire," Halleck said.
"Not on this ship," the Duke said. He hauled back on the controls as the
'thopter glided in beside the crawler. The wings tipped up, braked boobies com the
'thopter to boobies com a skidding stop within twenty meters of the factory.
The crawler was silent now, no sand spouting from its vents. Only a faint
mechanical rumble issued from it, becoming more audible as the Duke opened
his door.
Immediately, their nostrils