Astounding Science Fiction (British edition) — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION the air lock. Sumer was calling down to the people in the clearing: ““Wolves in the neighborhood. I just now saw them; the forest’s too thick to make much out; I don’t know how many. But they’re close.” Judy asked, “We’d better get back inside?” Balch and Sumer agreed, and she made it an order. The ball players had already started toward the ladder. Chang noticed Balch checking that his pellet gun was in its holster. But she was giving her attention to the nibblies. They stood close together on the edge of the forest, in plain sight. Four of them were working at trunks, and most of the rest were watching the ship. Did they know about the wolves? | Then she had to stand aside for the stream of people who were reaching the top of the ladder. Judy was there, saying, ““Move on into the ship, leave Balch, Chang, and me here.” Balch whispered to Chang, “You know, I don’t believe that about the nibblies’ aiming for us, but a couple of the trees in that group would reach the air lock if they fell right. Judy, how’re they coming?” She looked over the edge. “Only a couple more. Come on, Bok, you’re getting old. Hey, there’s still Mel- kote!” She yelled down, “Hey, Mel- kote, didn’t you hear what we said?’ The answer came: “My hearing is unimpaired; I’m _ repacking my samples, then I’m coming.” Balch suddenly gave Judy a sharp nudge. “Get everyone off the ladder. That tree’s falling.” ‘““Everyone’s up but Melkote. Get back from the air lock, all of you!” There was a confused retreat in the crowded corridor. Judy, Balch, and Chang stayed in the front rank; the rest tried to get a view over their shoulders. There was silence while the tree fell hugely straight toward them. Chang shielded her face with her arm. There was a crash. When she looked up, the top of the tree was lodged in the air lock. It quivered, but did not fall out. She made her way around it to the opening and saw that the whole slender length of its trunk now stretched like a ramp from the air lock to the forest edge, sup- ported in the middle by the smaller trees that had fallen a few minutes before! Among the murmur of voices from the crew, one stood out: “Almost got us that time!” Judy turned and said angrily, “What are you worrying about? If you think things are that serious, why stand around and gawk? Bunch of children! If this had happened yester- day, you’d have stayed in your labs and never—”’ “It wouldn’t have happened yester- day; the nibblies wouldn’t have been able to get at us.” Chang heard Balch’s quiet voice beside her: “I’m not so sure of that theory. There could be other reasons why it happened on just this day.” Suddenly everyone was silent, listen- ing to him. “First: Up until today they didn’t know for sure that we had any nibblies aboard. Second: Today is the first time since this herd’s been here that it’s been in danger from wolves.’¢ At this moment, as if at a signal, there came a shout from the copter, which had risen hastily when the tree fell but was now back down within speaking distance. ““The wolves are closing in on the herd down there!” Chang whispered to Judy, “Clear the corridor in back of us. And get more pellet guns.” “I see what you mean.” She set about it. “All of you, back at least ten meters in the side corridors—”’ Chang turned toward the outdoors CoOMiGhdooksnco iin