"I can't understand why you ever included me in this set-up to begin with," he said. "Things would have been easier if you hadn't sent for me."
"Listen Blake, when I sent for you, I figured you'd fit in here. I didn't know you'd fall for all this kid brother heroic stuff."
"You evidently knew something of my history," Blake said coolly. "Why did you play that sympathetic game?"
O'Toole seemed anxious to be understood.
"I knew you had been pirating every space craft between here and Mars," he said. "I knew that you had a swell reputation and were clever as hell. I knew that if you'd see things my way, I could get Walter Ferrell in bankruptcy within a month, and cut you in as a partner."
"Why change your mind?" Blake asked. He sat down in the pilot's chair and crossed his legs comfortably. "All we have to do is cut that coupling loose, ride back to the cave and collect all the dough we need by sitting tight."
O'Toole chuckled.
"Do you take me for a fool? I can handle things my own way, with Ferrell out of the way. I don't need you." His face softened a bit, and the gun dropped inches. "Besides, how do I know you won't turn yellow and give the whole thing away?"
Blake saw his chance to hit at O'Toole's one weakness.