Astounding British Edition, Vol. 9, No. 10 — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

I'd say if we kept weapons out of sight and trade goods in evidence, they would at least investigate before getting violent. I'd like to go down—they might well have stuff worth trading, and this town is not a hopeless distance overland from our own sea if we want to come here later. Will the sled fit through the bot- tom of those channels, do you think?” Lackland paused. “I hadn’t thought of that,” he admitted after a moment. “I'd want to measure them more care- fully first. Maybe it would be best if the tank went down alone first, with you and anyone else who cared for the ride travel- ing on top. That way we might look more peaceful, too—they must have seen the weapons your men were carrying, and if we leave them behind—” “They didn’t see any weapons unless their eyes are a great deal better than ours,” pointed out Barlennan. “However, I agree that we'd better go down first and measure—or better yet, tow the ship around the valley first and go down afterward as a side trip; I see no need to risk her in those narrow channels.” “That’s a thought. Yes, I guess it would be the best idea, at that. Will you tell your crew what we’ve decided, and if any want to come down afterwards?” Barlennan agreed, and returned to the Bree for the purpose—he could speak in a lower tone there, although he did not feel that there was any real danger of being overheard and understood. The crew in general accepted the advis- ability of taking the ship around rather than through the city, but from that point on there was a little difficulty. All of them wanted to see the town, but none would even consider riding on the tank, often as they had seen their captain do so without harm. A habit that amounts to a fixed conditioning is extremely hard to break. Dondragmer broke the dead- lock by suggesting that the crew, except for those left to guard the Bree, follow the tank into the town; there was no need to ride, since all could now keep up with the speed the vehicle had been using up to this time. The few minutes this discussion con- _. sumed brought the sun once more above the horizon; and at Barlennan’s signal the ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION Earthman swung the tank ninety degrees and started around the rim of the valley just below its coping of boulders. He had taken a look at the city before start- ing, and saw no sign of life; but as the tank and its tow swung into motion heads appeared once more at the small doors —many more of them, this time. Lack- land was able to concentrate on his driv- ing, sure now that their owners would still be there when he was free to examine them more closely. He attended to his job for the few days required to get the sled around to the far side of the valley; then the tow cable was cast off, and the nose of the tank pointed downhill. Practically no steering was required; the vehicle tended to follow the course of the first channel it met, and went by itself toward the space which Lackland had come to regard—wholly without justifica- tion—as the market. place of the town. Approximately half of: the Bree’s crew followed; the rest, under the second mate, remained as guards on the ship. Bar- lennan, as usual, rode on the tank’s roof, with most of the small remaining supply of trade goods piled behind him-—most of his crew by now were willing to throw things, they wouldn’t climb or jump. The rising sun was behind them as they approached from this side of the valley, so the seeing was good. There was much to see; some of the town’s inhabitants emerged entirely from their dwellings as the strangers approached. Neither Lack- land nor Barlennan attached any signi- ficance to the fact that all who did this were on the far side of the open space; those closer to the approaching travelers remained well under cover. They sup- posed, if they thought of the matter con- sciously at all, that it was only because the more distant individuals felt safer. As the distance narrowed, one fact became evident; the creatures were not, in spite of initial appearances, of the same race as Barlennan. Similar they were, indeed; body shape, proportions, number of eyes and limbs—all matched; but the city dwellers were over three times the length of the travelers from the far south. Five feet in length they stretched over the stone floors of the channels, with body breadth and thick- GCOMmIGDOOKS (EC)