Two people entered, but they were not Vicenzo and Aziz. The first was a small, thin man with a long, sad face. He wore a somber black oversuit. The second was a girl no older than Henry.
"Please, Joachim," the girl whispered, "don't antagonize them. Ask about the fuel first."
Henry gaped at the girl, and his face grew hot. Since he had spent his young life among the Moons and Asteroids, never going farther sunward than Pallas, he had seen few girls his own age and none as beautiful as this one. Her hair, dyed in tiger stripes of black and yellow, was parted in the middle and, held by silver wires, extended from the sides of her head like wings. She wore blue hose, silver fur shorts, and a golden sweater sparkling with designs in mirror thread. Metal-soled shoes too large for her feet slightly marred the total effect.
"High," said the man with the sad face. "I am Joachim, Second Vice-President of the SPRS. This is our Corresponding Secretary, Morna." His deep voice rolled around the compartment as if the lower keys of an orchestrana had been struck.
"Low," Ranjit responded. "I'm Ranjit, and this is Henry. Why didn't you make an appointment? The tanks are about empty, and you may have to wait several hours. What do you feed your atomics, water or hydrogen? It'll be even longer if you need hydrogen. I haven't done any electrolysis today. I wasn't expecting—Look at that girl, Henry! I'm 107 years old, but I can still appreciate a sight like that! I don't see how a homely fellow like you, Joachim, ever got such a luscious girl."
"Ours is strictly a business relationship," said Morna with indignant formality. "We do need fuel, Ranjit. We planned to refuel on Dione, but the moon was not where Joachim thought it should be. If—"
"Later, Morna," Joachim interrupted in a hollow voice. "I have come thirteen hundred million kilometers on a mission, and I intend to fulfill it! I represent the SPRS. We have written to you, Ranjit, but you have never answered."
Ranjit said, "The SPRS? Oh, yeah, you're the ones are always sending me spacemail. It's about all I ever get, and I appreciate it. I don't get much mail, out here, and I don't see many people. This fellow here, Henry, was the first I'd seen in days. I saved Henry's life, or did he tell you?"
"How wonderful!" Morna exclaimed in awe. "I've never spoken to a Saver before! Think of it, Joachim! Ranjit saved Henry!"
"That is very nice," Joachim admitted, "but—"