His next
action showed that he was.
"Come on, Howard," said Montezuma gently, bending over and calling into
the dark place where the koalang had hidden. "They won't hurt you. I
know you're not used to company, but no one's gonna hurt you. Come on
out. That's it, come on." He reached in gently and drew a small
creature out of the darkness. It had a small furry face with large,
frightened eyes, and snuggled up against the miner. Its fur was caramel
and white. He folded it into his chest and covered it gently with both
hands. He crooned to it lovingly for a moment or two, then said,
"That's right. You're okay. Go play." Then he added with mock
fierceness, "Just stay out of the paint!" He set it down and turned
back to the door at the end of the corridor.
"In here," he directed, leading the way into the room beyond.
4: Sabbath George
THE ROOM was smaller than the Starmen had anticipated. Its small size
was accentuated by being packed to the ceiling with a variety of items.
Hand tools identical to those used by rock hounds for centuries lay on
tables and on shelves. Stacks of paper, most of which showed signs of
being bound by hand, covered much of the remaining space. On one shelf
was a large, clear sphere on an ornately shaped stand. The eyes of all
three Starmen were drawn to it.
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