The hills became lower and suddenly ahead there appeared a high swell of snow. Anton immediately noticed tiny black figures swarming on its crest. Well, it’s started, he thought, and then said, “Stop.”
“Why?” Vadim retorted. “Can’t you see? There are people there!”
“I told you stop!”
“All right,” Vadim said, dissatisfied, but he obeyed.
Now he’ll turn around and look at me disapprovingly, Anton thought. It’s very, very hard.
He did find it hard. The chance of conflict with an unknown civilization was exceptionally small but real, and every starpilot knew the instructions of the Commission on Contacts that forbade independent contact with unknown civilizations. It would be silly to withdraw now, he thought. We should have left the planet as soon as we saw the bodies. We should have....
