their
parties, their fancy clothes, their extra arms and missing ears--that
means they're decadent. They're finished. You're the one who's alive;
the whole universe is waiting for you to go out and step on its neck.
And instead you want to turn yourself into a green-skinned little
monkey! Why?"

* * * * *

He pulled himself to a sitting position. "I don't know," he said. "I've
been all mixed up, I think." He felt his powerful arm. "I'm a Spacer."
Suddenly he glanced at her. "What are the suitcases for?" he said.

"I'm moving in," Laney said. "I need a place to sleep."

"What's the matter with Kanaday? Did he get tired of listening to you
preaching? He's my friend, Laney; I'm not going to do him dirt."

"He's dead, Rolf. When the Earther cops came here to bring you back, and
he saw what they did to you, his hatred overflowed. He always hated
Earthers, and he hated them even more for the way you were being
tricked into thinking they were worth anything. He got hold of one of
those cops and just about twisted him into two pieces. They blasted
him."

Rolf was silent. He let his head sink down on his knees.

"So I moved down here. It's lonely upstairs now. Come on; I'll help you
get up."

She walked toward him, hooked her hand under his arm, and half-dragged,
half-pushed him to his feet. Her touch was firm, and there was no
denying the strength behind her.

"I have to get fixed up," he said abruptly. "My leave's up in two days.
I have to get out of here. We're shipping for Pluto."

* * * * *

He rocked unsteadily on his feet. "It'll really get lonely here then,"
he said.

"Are you really going to go? Or are you going to find some jack-surgeon
who'll make your face pretty for a few dirty credits?"

"Stop it. I mean it. I'm going. I'll be gone a year on this signup. By
then I'll have enough cash piled up on various planets to be a rich man.
I'll get it all together and get a mansion on Venus, and have Greenie
slaves."

It was getting toward noon. The sun, high in the sky, burst through the
shutters and lit up the dingy room.

"I'll stay here," Laney said. "You're going to Pluto?"

He nodded.

"Kanaday was supposed to be going to Pluto. He was heading there when
that explosion finished his foot. He never got there after that."

"Poor old Kanaday," Rolf said.

"I'll miss him too. I guess I'll have to run the boarding-house now. For
a while. W