I guess he knew there was no use trying to bluff. Or maybe he was anxious to get it off his mind. He said, “They’re intelligent, boss. They compressed air for me. They set up a little power pack to keep me warm. They set up the smoke signal when they spotted the airplane coming back.”

“I see.” I didn’t want to rush him. “It’s like we thought. They’re adapted to Everest life. They can’t come down the slopes.”

“No, they can’t. And we can’t go up the slopes. Even if the weather didn’t stop us, they would!”

“They sound like kindly creatures, so why should they object? They helped you .”

“They have nothing against us. They spoke to me, you know. Telepathy.”

I frowned. “Well, then.”