Cricket snorts at Palmer's reassurance good-naturedly. "Well, damn, if he's only a little stressed, he's doin' better'n most of us."

Cricket doesn't say so, but he suspects, that Kinner and Palmer are both having uncomfortable memories of Antarctica by now. And maybe Kinner more than Palmer, because he was in the midst of the fear for longer, because he actually lost his encounter with the Thing and died. He'll check on the cook when he can, but there's so little he can do to reassure either of them.

"Ain't seen 'em," he says of the creatures, thoughtfully. "Don't wanna see 'em, particularly. But I reckon it was worth at least asking 'em once what they want. I'm glad you did."

"But if they won't answer and they won't stop, we have to fight. That's all we can do."