"Stine, do you know what B-Haaq will do when he realizes that he has failed? When he realizes that the woman who spurned him and the man who deserted his ranks are aboard this ship? Do you know what he'll do rather than knuckle under to you? He's the same kind of man you are, Stine. He'll come gunning with everything he's got! You'll be a seive before you know what hit you ... and for once I'll be glad to see B-Haaq take a trick!"
He heard Deanne gasp, could almost feel the trembling of her body.
"That's enough out of you, Kane, or there'll be a couple dozen more bandages on that honest face of yours! If that puppy even turns his nose toward me, I'll show him what real guns are! And let him sweat out there without his engines for awhile!"
"You only think you will! You haven't the faintest idea of what alloy the Tinkers build their ships, and you know it! And it's going to be fun watching you find out."
"If they use the tin they use to fix everything else."
"They may be stupid, Stine, but they've been around quite awhile."
"All right, so you know what alloy their hulls are built of! So my batteries of electro-cannon will—"
"Bounce off like a flashlantern beam, Stine. But I guess you'll want to wait and see for yourself. And if I know B-Haaq, you'll get the chance!"
And suddenly Stine was towering over him again. Jon winced at the vicious slap that landed squarely on his misshapen face.
"You'll tell me the alloy! Do you hear me?" A slap harder than the first. "Do you understand, Kane?"