The purple sphere sidled forward and sat on top of the radio. The radio disappeared from view.
"Hey, Ed! Ed!" called Archie. "It just ate our radio!"
Ed hurried up from the back of the ship. "You ass," he said. "Why did you let him have it? I should bash your teeth in." He brandished a hammer threateningly.
"Let's not lose our tempers, Ed," smiled Archie anxiously.
"Okay. Forget it. We'll never get out of here by fighting." He stepped resolutely into the cabin and returned with an ugly looking steel tube. "I'm going to roast Fido right off that radio."
"Hey, wait a minute, Ed!" Archie held his comrade's arm. "—After all, I gave him the radio. Maybe he thought I'm trying to make friends."
"You blockhead! I ought to turn Betsy here on you. What were you up to—feeling sorry for monstrous there? Okay ... you get the radio back your way. Spend all month doing it! Just sit looking into handsome's limpid pools and maybe she'll kiss you and give you back your radio. Damn 'Chameleon Tiger!'"
He brandished his hammer aloft and returned to the nether regions.
Several minutes later the purple sphere sidled backward and the radio returned to view. It emitted curious noises. The purple sphere looked up at Archie sadly.