"Me? I never jumped a claim in my life. I'm a navigator, doing a little prospecting on the side, while my ship is laid up." And since she seemed doubtful, he showed her his credentials and told her the story, even telling her about the yacht on Luna that he wanted to buy.
"Oh," she said. "Oh ... I'm sorry. I had located an outcropping of quartz, and three men tried to take it away from me, and I thought you were one of them.... I'm very sorry."
"Quite all right," Andy answered awkwardly. "A perfectly natural mistake."
"Phooey!" Oscar snapped. "Women!"
Andy glared at the thlot and turned to the girl. "Prospecting is a mighty tough occupation for a single woman, isn't it, Ma'am?"
"My father was a prospector. I was born in a mining camp on Ganymede, and I followed my father from the time I was able to walk. Yes, it's a hard life, but it's better than being a sissie and having some man support you because he happens to be married to you."
"Um—" said Andy thoughtfully. "Um—"
"You got something there," Oscar interpolated.
"I was just getting ready to eat," the girl said suddenly. "Will you join me?"