Kathi's half-defiant, half-wheedling mask cracked. Her over-painted lips twitched.
"What do you know about where I'm better off? If you knew the kind of family I have—."
"Oh, calm down!" grunted Dudley, somewhat discomforted by the sight of tears spilling from her blue eyes. "Things are never as bad as you think when you're just a ... when you're young. When we land, we can say you got left aboard by mistake. They'll just send you back without any trouble."
"Like hell they will! I won't go!"
Dudley stared hard at her, until she dropped her gaze.
"You don't understand," she said more quietly. "I ... my family has been kicking me around the law courts all my life just because my grandfather left me his money. They're all trying to get their hands on it, or on me to back up their claims. Do you realize I'm eight—I'm twenty-one and I never lived a happy day in my life? I'd rather die than go back!"
"Yeah, sure," said Dudley. "What did you really do to make you so scared of going back? Smack up grandpop's helicopter, maybe, or flunk out of school?"
"No, I got sick and tired of being shoved around. I wanted to get away someplace where I could be myself."
"Why didn't you buy a ticket on a passenger rocket, if you had such an urge to visit Luna?"
"My aunts and uncles and cousins have all my money tied up in suits."