The alien gave another of those mirthless peals of bull's laughter. "Clever," he said. "Oh, clever little man." Then he plucked Jerry off the floor once more.
I'm going to die now....
The brute set him on his feet, twisted him toward the door, and gave him a brisk, forceful pat on the backside that sent him staggering. He gained his balance and ran into the corridor. It was more humiliating than had he been slain.
CHAPTER IX
"It didn't work, but it taught us a few things."
"You're right. It taught us that this bitch can't be trusted. Either she's in league with it, a sister or brother of it, or else she's so stupid that she's a menace to our survival."
"Oh, you blithering jackass!" said Circe indignantly to her fellow organicus officer. "How could I guess what your plan was? Nobody told me. All I knew was that you were going to be murdered for doing a perfectly harmless—"
"She's right," said Joe Silver. "We ought to have told her."
"Shut up," said Pinkham savagely. "Any more of that and I'll figure she's corrupted you or addled your brains, and I'll toss you into the brig, Silver."