Now the military men and Cadogan were clearing away the debris, half stumbling, half confused. "Get the girl. Don't let her get in that thing. No matter how absurd their story, don't let her get aboard that—that seed pod!"
"Amazon," Threlkeld yelled. "Amazon, Amazon, Amazon! Gelerie—"
At that, Gelerie dropped Twitty and began swinging with both fists. She laid out two helicopter pilots and a civilian. She retrieved Twitty and her father said, "Now, get the devil in this pod so I can transfer back to the body! Then we can revert to type. I said get the devil in the pod so—"
"No!"
"Gelerie," his voice stormed, shattering her peace of mind.
"No. If we go back to Alpha," she said, "I'll be a six-legged amphibian and Twitty will be a handsome human. He won't even know me!"
Twitty looked at her. "Wh-who are you addressing?"
From inside the voice thundered on. "Think of your father, who has worked all his life for you! Just one more assignment with inter-star patrol. Even ferry duty will suffice. Please let me have my specimen and my body. Gelerie! Please go inside the seed pod. Homekind will kill me in hours if I fail."
Gelerie held Twitty at a distance. "I can't do it. I can't leave him."