ing the
responsibility not so much to avoid consequences for himself, nor so
much to assure they were willing to follow an E's orders without
question, as to remind Louie that there was, after all, an E with them.
And if he were willing to face this unknown, they could hardly do less
themselves.

But Louie's eyes were fixed in unblinking stare upon the ground below
them. He was frozen and unheeding.

The actual landing was so flawless that Cal, involuntarily, glanced out
of the port to confirm that they were no longer hovering.

"Might as well open up," he said. "Nothing has happened to us, so far."

Norton pushed a button. The exit hatch slipped open and the ramp
unfolded and slid down to touch ground. Cal, flanked by Tom and Frank,
looked through the opening into the woods beyond.

And while they looked, a man came from behind the screening protection
of some shrubbery. He was followed by two other men. All of them were
completely naked.

"You three stay inside the ship until I signal you to come out," Cal
instructed. "If anything unusual happens to me, stand off from the
planet until help can come from Earth. Don't be foolish and try to help
me."

"You're the E," Tom repeated. When a man is outside his own knowledge,
heroics might do more harm than good.

Cal stepped through the exit and walked slowly down the ramp.

The three colonists seemed in no panic. They walked toward him, also
slowly, obviously in attempt at dignified control. Yet their faces were
breaking into broad grins of relief and welcome.

Cal stepped off the ramp, took a step toward them, then it happened.

He heard breathless grunts of surprise and pain behind him. He whirled
around. The three crewmen were lying awkwardly on the ground. There was
no ship. The three crewmen were completely naked.

Cal felt the stirring of a breeze, and looked down quickly at his own
body. He also was nude.

He turned back to face the colonists. They had stopped in front of him.
Their joyous grins had been replaced by grimaces of despair.

Behind him the crewmen were in the act of getting to their feet. A quick
glance showed Cal none was hurt. Louie looked around, dazed and
uncomprehending. There was not so much as a bent blade of grass to show
where the ship's weight had pressed. Louie sank down suddenly on the
ground and buried his face in his hands.

Tom and Frank stood over him, in the way a man would try to shield some
wounded portion of his own