"They ceased to exist—as human beings—shortly after they received a book from Doc," the Martian said.
Something seemed to strike me in the back of the neck. I staggered, but managed to hold onto the gun and stand up.
"Use one of those sneaky Martian weapons again," I warned him, "and I'll kill the girl." Martians were supposed to be against the destruction of any life-form, I had read someplace. I doubted it, but it was worth a try.
"Kevin," Andre said, "why don't you take a bath?"
The Martian weapon staggered me again. I tried to say something. I tried to explain that I was so dirty that I could never get clean no matter how often I bathed. No words formed.
"But, Kevin," Andre said, "you aren't that dirty."
The blow shook the gun from my fingers. It almost fell into the thing on the floor, but at the last moment seemed to change direction and miss it.
I knew something. "I don't wash because I drink coffee."
"It's all right to drink coffee, isn't it?" he asked.