Puffing, digging in those sturdy
legs which had to take the massive weight of their barrel-shaped bodies,
they made their way determinedly up-grade. One might almost believe that
they had intelligently planned this end for their drive.
"We go down!" Asaki yelled, and used his needler on the leader of that
climbing platoon.
"The brush islands," Nymani amended. "I show you!" He thrust his needler
at Jellico and was over the edge of the ledge, hanging by his hands and
swinging his weight back and forth like a pendulum. At the up-swing of
his body to the right, he let go and plunged out, landing half across
one of the reed islets. The Khatkan clawed his way to his knees, gained
his feet, and leaped for the next bit of solid ground.
"You, Thorson!" Jellico jerked his head at Dane and the younger spaceman
holstered his fire ray, slipped gingerly over the drop and prepared to
repeat Nymani's feat as best he could.
He was not quite as successful with his sidewise swing, landing with
only his forearms across the islet, the rest of his body being swiftly
embedded in what was ooze covered only with a thin crust of dried
matter.
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