Avalon went "Phew!" in an explosive release of tension.
"Pardon my nerves," she said, "but these unorthodox introductions have a tendency to throw me."
Joe looked at everybody at once, a feat that did strange things to his round face.
"Ya mean this guy's d' Saint? Th' guy what diddles cops an' crooks too, all at once? 'Zat who he is?"
Sam Jeffries gazed patiently at his shipmate.
"Look, we been talkin' for fifteen minutes about who he is, while we run up three bucks on the meter and'll wind up in the drink if we don't tell the guy where to go, so shaddup."
"I didn't mean nothin'," Joe murmured. "But hell's — hully criminy, I mean — the Saint!"
"So he's th' Saint, so what? Right now he's a guy goin' along to put a few belts away. Got any arguments?"
"Naw, but it's like — well, you know, well, hell, I mean "
"Shaddup." To Avalon, Sam said: "Uh, Miss Dexter, we asked you to come along with us, 'n it seems to me this oughta be your party. Whyn't you tell th' helmsman where to throw out the anchor?"