A great horn of stone rose up before
them, sweeping to a point above. Behind them a similar horn curved up
in the opposite direction.
The ground was uneven, with contours sharply defined. Jagged, broken
rock comprised most of the terrain, with a few smooth ripples which
rose about twenty or thirty feet from the plain. Shadows were utterly
dark in the vacuum of space. The Starmen wore asteroid shoes, designed
for walking in low gravity conditions. Their soles had an automatic
"smart grip" function that gripped the ground when weight was placed on
them, but released when the walker took another step. Without the
asteroid shoes, the minimal gravity of "Montezuma's Castle" would have
made walking a difficult, even dangerous, task.
The Starmen saw that the airlock was set into the side of a hill. The
hill had been artificially cut away in front of the door. As Zip, Mark,
and Joe approached the airlock, the outer door opened. When they had
passed through, it shut behind them. Joe kept watch on the instruments
as air filled the compartment. When the atmosphere had become normal,
he removed his helmet, and Zip and Mark followed suit. They opened the
second door and passed through. A dimly-lit stairway led down in front
of them. About twenty-five steps brought them to the beginning of a
short passageway.
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