It would appear that their search for the water tree would be
delayed.
VI
They withdrew to a spot hacked from the edge of the jungle, leaving a
screen of green between them and the traitorous up-slope. But within the
few hours of daylight left them, it was proven that Asaki had been
overly optimistic in his hopes of discovering a water tree. They were
now in a narrow tongue of land between the range and the swamps, and
this territory was limited. Nymani, still shaken, was of little help,
and the spacemen did not dare to strike out into unexplored land alone.
So they mouthed dry concentrates and dared not drink. Dane was tempted
to pour out the liquid in his canteen. Water so close to hand was a
continual torment. And, now that they were away from the heights and the
possibility of more finger-shaped rocks, surely the threat in that
moisture was small in comparison to the needs of his body. Only that
caution which was drilled into every Free Trader supplied a brake to his
thirst.
Jellico drew the back of his hand across cracked lips. "Suppose we
should draw lots--some of us drink, one or two not.
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