"Baloney," said Arden. "You just wait until next October. I'll be in your hair all the time then."
"By then I may be tired of you," said Channing with a smile. "But until then, take it or leave it." His face grew serious, and he tossed the message across the table to her. "What do you think of that?"
Arden read, and then remarked: "That's a huge order, Don. Think you can do it?"
"It'll cost plenty. I don't know whether we can contact a ship in space. It hasn't been done to date, you know, except for short distances."
The door opened without a knock and Walt Franks walked in. "Billing and cooing?" he asked. "Why do you two need an audience?"
"We don't," answered Don. "This was business."
"For want of evidence, I'll believe that. What's the dope?"
"Walt, what are the chances of hooking up with the Empress of Kolain, which is en route from Mars to Venus?"
"About equal to a snowball—you know where," said Franks looking slyly at Arden.
"Take off your coat, Walt. We've got a job."