He nudged her. She jumped, looked as though she was about to bat him one, then gulped and nodded. She couldn't look in the eyes of Horseface and his party.
Horseface laid his hand on his blaster-butt. "It don't make no particle of difference. Maybe you fooled Trix, but you ain't fooled us, so hand her over, see?"
Goreck twinkled jovially at his men in front of "The Martian's Fancy". He said, "Horseface, I warn you—get back, and take your hand off your gun. As long as I have the dandelionss ssafe inside my headquarterss, I'm quite ssure that you won't dare try anything reckless—"
"Boss! Psst!" One of the Martians was beckoning nervously.
"What is it?" Goreck demanded testily. "Sspeak up! There'ss nothing to fear—we've got the whip hand."
"But, boss—"
Goreck dropped his own hand to his own gun. The Martian hastily piped, "The dandelionss! They didn't get here!"
"I—what—ulp!" Goreck spluttered, which made beautiful sense even if it wasn't coherent. He dived behind Trixie as though behind a rock, and whipped out his gun.
"Looking klambits!" Mouse Digby moaned. "The zips! They got Phorey and the jeep and the dandelions! Shook 'em to pieces!"
He pressed his mouth into a slit and started grimly forward. But Trixie's scream checked him.