They all looked woebegone about
it; that would be their expression of joy. Different type nerves and
different facial musculature, Fayon thought. As soon as they sampled
the Extee Three and candy, they looked crushed under all the sorrows
of the galaxy.
By pantomime and pointing to the sun, Meillard managed to inform
them that the next day, when the sun was in the same position, the
Terrans would visit their village, bringing more gifts. The natives
were quite agreeable, but Meillard was disgruntled that he had to
use sign-talk. The natives started off toward the village on the
mound, munching Extee Three and trying out their new knives. This
time tomorrow, half of them would have bandaged thumbs.
* * * * *
The Marine riflemen and submachine-gunners were coming in, slinging
their weapons and lighting cigarettes. A couple of Navy technicians
were getting a snooper--a thing shaped like a short-tailed tadpole,
six feet long by three at the widest, fitted with visible-light
and infra-red screen pickups and crammed with detection
instruments--ready to relieve the combat car over the village.
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