 What may have gone differently if Ri had listened to Mia?
Extrone asked, "Is there a pass?" "We'll pitch camp right here, then," Extrone said. He crossed to Mia, who, along with him, had been pressed into Extrone's party as guides. Once more, Ri addressed the bearers, "Be quick, now!" And to Mia, "God almighty, he was getting mad." "At least, then, I wouldn't be one of his guides. "What hurts most, he pays us for it. "Yes, sir," Ri said, and instantly the two of them readjusted their shoulder straps and started off. And I don't think there's another cargo rocket on this planet outside of the one we leased from the Club. "After Extrone said he'd hunt farn beasts, even if it meant going to the alien system? I didn't tell Extrone, if that's what you're thinking," Mia said. "You'll destroy this one, too," Extrone said. "That's why we'd like you to return to an inner planet, sir." Extrone plucked at his right ear lobe, half closing his eyes. "You'll lose a fleet before you'll dare let anything happen to me, gentlemen. The takeoff blast of the rocket illuminated the area, casting weird shadows on the gently swaying grasses; there was a hot breath of dry air and the rocket dwindled toward the stars. Extrone said, turning, startled. "Of course you did," Extrone said, lazily tracing the crease of his sleeve with his forefinger. "Yes," Extrone said, "I imagine they are. Extrone's lip twisted in wry amusement. "Of course," Extrone said. "But you should have spoken to me about it, when you discovered the farn beast in our own system." "Like all of my subjects," he waved his hand in a broad gesture, "the highest as well as the lowest slave, know me and love me. "It's frightening," Ri said, "to be that close to him." The two of them, beneath the leaf-swollen branches of the gnarled tree, were seated on their sleeping bags. The moon was clear and cold and bright in a cloudless sky; a small moon, smooth-surfaced, except for a central mountain ridge that bisected it into almost twin hemispheres.
 they could have killed Extrone
 they could have shared the truth with the galaxy  they could have killed Extrone  they both could have escaped Extrone  they could have discovered the farn beasts without bait