Teeping this thought from my mind, the hardy and obliging Urxula dipped one of her feeding tubes into the barrel and puffed up her body like a water balloon, engulfing ten gallons. We stomped and slid back to the plane, and the bloated cuke spewed the fuel into our tank. I tested the ignition on one of the engines, and it caught with a steady smooth roar. Looked like we had a way home. Assuming we survived the other things we had yet to face.
I left Urxula on watch outside our tent. The stunning cold bothered her not one whit. Inside the tent it was wonderfully warm, with a two-quart can of beef stew heating on a primus stove. Vivi and Leon had shed their coats and I did the same. Soon, Leon set out three bowls of the surprisingly good stew, gave a smaller bowl to Baxter, and passed a fif
