Johnny Gorman banged off a handful of rock, and shoved it into the vac-container at his belt.
"Okay, hon," he said. "Let's go."
They stood once more moment atop the ridge, looking out over the barren, rusty-gray plain that the ridge had until now concealed from their gaze.
"Looks just as dead as the rest," Johnny observed. "I guess we were just jumpy over nothing." He turned to start down the slope. "Come on."
In three long light-gravity steps he had reached the bottom, and turned to steady Helen.
She wasn't there.
She had tripped and tumbled off the other side of the ridge. He could hear her screaming.
"Putrefied proteins!" Pud roared. "Help me get it out of the tharn!"