"When the Mutual Admiration Society adjourns," he said, "what are we going to do with our lethal little pal? You want I should take him out somewhere and play punchboard on him with this?"
Gary Lane said grimly, "Murder in cold blood isn't ordinarily my dish, but it seems to me that in this case it isn't so much a case of murder as it is fitting retribution. I'm in favor of—"
But Dr. Bryant said, "No, Gary. We can't do that."
"Why not? He's got it coming to him."
"I agree with you perfectly. But now that we have reached Sirius we may have need of him."
"Need of him?" exploded Muldoon.
"Yes. For one thing we already know the Magogean language is unlike any used in our universe. We will have need of an interpreter. Another thing you must remember is that so long as we hold him unharmed aboard the Liberty we hold as hostage one whom we know to be a person of importance among his own people."
Lark O'Day said bluntly, "I'm agin it. I was raised in a hard school, I know. But one thing I learned long ago was that the best way to get rid of an enemy is—get rid of him!"
And Dr. Kang, too, added quietly, "It is not wise to spare an enemy like this; one who has already attempted not once but many times to destroy us. It is written, 'Who dallies with the wasp will feel its sting.'"
Neither Muldoon nor Gary appeared to think highly of Dr. Bryant's clemency. But surprisingly it was the skipper who came to Dr. Bryant's support.