The Martian Way and Other Stories

Youth Chapter Four

Slim started at the sound of footsteps and brightened when it turned out to be only Red.
He said, "No one's around. I had my eye peeled, you bet."
Red said, "Ssh. Look. You take this stuff and stick it in the cage. I've got to scoot back to the house."
"What is it?" Slim reached reluctantly.
"Ground meat. Holy smokes, haven't you ever seen ground meat? That's what you should've got when I sent you to the house instead of coming back with that stupid grass."
Slim was hurt. "How'd I know they don't eat grass? Besides, ground meat doesn't come loose like that. It comes in cellophane and it isn't that color."
"Sure-in the city. Out here we grind our own and it's always that color till it's cooked."
"You mean it isn't cooked?" Slim drew away quickly.
Red looked disgusted. "Do you think animals eat cooked food? Come on, take it. It won't hurt you. I tell you there isn't much time."
"Why? What's doing back at the house?"
"I don't know. Dad and your father are walking around. I think maybe they're looking for me. Maybe the cook told them I took the meat. Anyway, we don't want them coming here after me."
"Didn't you ask the cook before you took this stuff?"
"Who? That crab? Shouldn't wonder if she only let me have a drink of water because Dad makes her. Come on. Take it."
Slim took the large glob of meat though his skin crawled at the touch. He turned toward the barn and Red sped away in the direction from which he had come.
Red slowed when he approached the two adults, took a few deep breaths to bring himself back to normal, and then carefully and nonchalantly sauntered past. (They were walking in the general direction of the barn, he noticed, but not dead on.)
He said, "Hi, Dad. Hello, sir."
The Industrialist said, "Just a moment, Red. I have a question to ask you."
Red turned a carefully blank face to his father. "Yes, Dad?"
"Mother tells me you were out early this morning."
"Not real early, Dad. Just a little before breakfast."
"She said you told her it was because you had been awakened during the night."
Red waited before answering. Should he have told Mom that?
Then he said, "Yes, sir."
"What was it that awakened you?"
Red saw no harm in it. He said, "I don't know. Dad. It sounded like thunder, sort of, and like a collision, sort of."
"Could you tell where it came from?"
"It sounded like it was out by the hill." That was truthful, and useful as well, since the direction was almost opposite that in which the barn lay.
The Industrialist looked at his guest "I suppose it would do no harm to walk toward the hill."
The Astronomer said, "I am ready."
Red watched them walk away, and when he turned, he saw Slim peering cautiously out from among the briers of a hedge.
Red waved at him. "Come on."
Slim stepped out and approached. "Did they say anything about the meat?"
"No. I guess they don't know about that. They went down to the hill."
"What for?"
"Search me. They kept asking about the noise I heard. Listen, did the animals eat the meat?"
"Well," said Slim cautiously, "they were sort of looking at it and smelling it or something."
"Okay," Red said, "I guess they'll eat it. Holy smokes, they've got to eat something. Let's walk along toward the hill and see what Dad and your father are going to do."
"What about the animals?"
"They'll be all right. A fellow can't spend all his time on them. Did you give them water?"
"Sure. They drank that."
"See. Come on. Well look at them after lunch. I tell you what. We'll bring them fruit. Anything'll eat fruit."
Together they trotted up the rise, Red, as usual, in the lead.