"How's Scyth Radnor?"
"Why, he's doing very well. He's hospitalized and he'll be out and howling for the skin of the man that shot him in about a week."
"He'd better take a month off for practise, first," grinned Dusty.
"Or," chuckled the nurse, "leave other men's women alone."
"Yes," agreed Barbara.
The nurse nodded. "You're very attractive," she said with no trace of jealousy or envy. "I can see Scyth getting side-tracked along your direction. I am a little disappointed in Scyth—seems to me he could do better than a frauland for you."
"Better than a what?"
"Frauland. That bauble he gave you. You wouldn't know, of course, but it comes from Selira, a stellar colony not far from here. It's incredibly cheap."
Barbara tore the chain getting the bauble away from her. "Next time," she promised sharply, "I'll plug Scyth Radnor myself!"