That stopped me. "What in kert are you talking about?" I growled.
"The government wants a specimen, at least one, of a zloor."
"A what?"
"A zloor," he repeated. "A small Martian animal."
I scowled at him. "And just why does the government want a zloor?"
"That's a secret."
"Okay. I'll tell you another secret. Somebody else can catch the government a zloor. I've never been off Earth and I haven't any particular hankering to go now." I picked up the .257 Roberts again and reached for my oil can.
He got to his feet, something just this side of a sneer on his face, and said, "I doubt if you could have got one anyway."
I said easily, "If anyone else could catch it, I could."
He reached for the doorknob, "I'd lay a thousand credits against that," he said. He began to leave.