Belgrade waved his hand. “That’s all right. It isn’t as serious as it might be.”
“I don’t see how it could be any more serious. It means life-long exile, for all we know——”
“Not a bit of it. The trouble’s in the magneto, pitted points, I think.” He showed him the part, which he had removed and put in his pocket. “To repair it is a simple job, and I can manage it in two hours’ work.”
“But the Neanderthal men will be here before the tide turns. Don’t think for a moment that they’re not coming. And they’ll overrun this bank and cut you off from the village.”
“I don’t think they’ll come near the plane. They’ll be scared of it. Anyway, I can carry the magneto with me, and work on it behind our lines. Later I’ll see a chance to slip down to the plane, replace the part, and hop off.”
“What g
