Astounding Science Fiction (British edition) — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

SHARE OUR WORLD 63 again, straining to see what was hap- pening at the other end of the slanting tree trunk at whose tip she stood. (Judy was saying, ““And don’t forget that any scratch needs medical atten- tion. The chemistry of this world is a good deal like ours, but that’s no guarantee—’’) Nothing could be dis- tinguished out in the forest but a general confusion of fleeing and pur- suing bodies. Then, there appeared confirmation of Chang’s guess. _ A-nibbly came out into the sunlight of the clearing, walking up the slope of the fallen tree, straight toward them. Another followed him. They walked slowly and gingerly on extended legs, and they were still a long way away, but they kept coming. Balch swore, and asked Chang, “Is the whole herd going to try to get away from the wolves by hiding in the ship?” “‘T don’t know. You can see they’re not used to climbing, though, so they must have something pretty special in mind.” A voice from below them: ‘What do you suggest I do?”” Melkote. Balch called down, ‘‘Do not come up the ladder.” From the copter, Sumer amended, “Safer to go halfway up,” and Balch concurred. The first nibbly, having negotiated the hump in the tree trunk where it rested on its nibbly-made supports, was entering the second span. The other one was several meters behind him. No more had begun the trip. But then one did—No. A wolf. “Look, Tim!” “T see him. Shall I pick him off?” Judy, from behind them: “Not yet!” Balch shifted his gun to his left hand and signaled to Sumer not to fire either. Judy went on, “No hurry. Think about it.” Chang said clearly and carefully, “The nibblies’ whole life is escaping from the wolves. To them, we’re either for them or against them. These two may even be trying this to make us show definitely which it is, or maybe they have other reasons for wanting to be aboard. In any case, they pro- bably guess we have ways of acting to protect them, and if we—Oh!” “You talked too long,” said Balch bitterly. The wolf had almost caught up to the hindmost nibbly, who, starting to run, had lost his footing and fallen to the ground. He lay there in the middle of the clearing, obviously badly hurt. No wolf came out of the forest after him; they naturally would figure that that could wait. “Looks as if it’s too late now,” Chang admitted. The other nibbly was almost to the air lock, and in a moment more he arrived. He tripped clumsily off the tree onto the safer footing of the corridor, almost bowling Chang over; then took up a position just behind her, wiggling his pointed snout a little but giving no sign of excitement or curiosity. ““We shouldn’t take him farther inside the ship,” Chang said to Judy. “Leave him here so he’ll be getting the right air.” Balch shouted, ‘‘The wolf’s still coming!” Judy took a position five meters behind Balch and Chang. The pellet guns had been brought, and somebody tossed her one. Chang was watching, fascinated, as the monstrous animal came nearer, slowly and clumsily like the nibbly. Balch raised his gun. “Well?” *“No!” It was Hilda Streloff, in the side corridor. ““The wolves may be intelligent, too. You can’t kill them.” Chang, taken aback, answered hur- riedly, “If both species are intelligent, we have to get to know the nibblies first, because—’’ “We can’t kill the wolf, Let him approach.” conniclooks.conn