Extreme Difference by D. B. Reynolds-Moreton

of smells, compared to the home team, and that didn’t go down too well with anyone.
    The four growing bins for the exchange were moved to a cave close to the opening, so that when the temperature had dropped sufficiently, they could send their malodorous visitors on their way as soon as possible.
    When Mop heard she would have to provide extra food, she threw the expected tantrum, which was great entertainment for all, except the deliverer of the news.
    The exchanged goods were taken down to Ben’s store, Nan, more from habit than necessity, querying every item as to why it had been chosen, especially the metallic cylinder with the attached pump. Sandy tried to explain, without going into details, that he wanted it for a future experiment, hiding the fact that he was none too sure himself why he had chosen it, except it seemed a good idea at the time. He was a man who often relied on hunches in life.
    ‘Why do you want that bale of cloth?’ asked Ben, when they were out of earshot of the others, ‘I thought the visitors said it was useless.’
    ‘To them it might be,’ Sandy replied, ‘ but I thought a new set of clothes for us would perk the place up a bit, and if we can include a hair cut and a wash down, we’ll be the smartest lot in the crater.’
    ‘Crater? What do you mean by that?’ asked Ben, a puzzled look on his face. The word’s familiar, but I can’t define what it means.’
    ‘A crater is the top of a volcano, a point on the earth’s crust where molten rock is forced up and spills out, building up into a cone shape. The middle often remains hollow, like a bowl, and that’s what we’re in. Why it’s filled with sand, I don’t know, I’ve never come across that before, and it’s the biggest crater I’ve ever seen, or heard of.’
    Sandy put the idea of new clothes to Nan later that morning, and was surprised by his keenness to go ahead with the project. The idea of hair cutting and a good wash, while not rejected out of hand, failed to receive the degree of enthusiasm Sandy had hoped for, and he did not understand why.
    The time for the midday meal arrived, and the whole group assembled in the main cavern to sample Mop’s offering for the day, minus the visitors.
    ‘Where are the others?’ asked Nan, concerned that their hospitality might be open to question.
    ‘Mop said she would give them some food in the cave with their growing bins, even she can’t stand the smell.’ someone volunteered, a muffled chorus of agreement rippled around the cavern, and then someone made a very unkind comment about Mop’s general ambience, and Sandy heard the first really loud communal laugh since arriving.
    The placid acceptance of the group’s situation worried Sandy, and taking Nan to one side after their meal, asked him again why no one had ever tried to climb to the top of the peaks, and see what was on the other side.
    ‘It was tried, once, long ago so I’m told, but the climbers never returned, I think they must have been caught by the night freeze up, unable to get back to the caves before nightfall. Why are you so interested in what’s on the other side of the peaks?’
    ‘I think there may be another world out there, something a little better than what we have here, and I think it’s worth trying to find out.’ Sandy replied, firmly.
    ‘I’d rather you didn’t try, because I don’t think you’ll come back. Surely there’s enough to interest you here, the new clothes for instance?’ Nan had adopted his sad look to back up his feelings at the thought of loosing their new acquisition.
    ‘Has anyone checked to see if there are any tunnels which lead upwards? We might be able to go up inside the rim and find an opening near the top which looks out on the other side, and then we would be protected from the cold and heat, and could take our time about it.’
    ‘There are many tunnels we don’t use, because you die if you go into them, especially the ones which lead downwards, or so