He turned to her. She hadn't spoken into the mike.

"They may not be from Dara!" she said shakily. "I just thought! They
could be somebody else, maybe criminals who planned to raid the mine
for a shipload of its ore."

"Nonsense," said Calhoun. "I saw one of them clearly enough to be
sure. But they're skeptical characters. I'm afraid there may be more
on the way here from wherever they keep themselves. Anyhow, now we
know some of them are in hearing! I'll take advantage of that and
we'll go on."

He took the microphone. An instant later his voice boomed in the
stillness outside the ship, cutting through the thin shrill whirring
of invisible small creatures.

"This is the Med Ship _Aesclipus Twenty_," said Calhoun's voice,
amplified to a shout. "I left Weald four days ago, one day after the
cargo ship from here arrived with everybody on board dead. On Weald
they don't know how it happened, but they suspect blueskins. Sooner or
later they'll search here.

"Get away! Cover up your tracks! Hide all signs that you've ever been
here! Get the hell away, fast! One more warning! There's talk of
fusion-bombing Dara. They're scared! If they find your traces, they'll
be still more scared! So cover up your tracks and get away from here!"

The many-times-multiplied voice rolled and echoed among the hills. But
it was very clear. Where it could be heard it could be understood, and
it could be heard for miles.