'Why, no,' said Spike. 'Glad to. Anything to help you out.'
But there was something about the way he said it, the ugly twist to his mouth, the mockery in his words, that Gramp didn't like.
'Just go down into the nose of the ship,' said Spike. 'You can't miss it.', An evil smile tugged at Spike's mouth.
'Only,' he said, 'it won't do you a damn bit of good. Because the condenser broke down about half an hour ago. It can't be fixed. I tried. I was getting ready to try to make it back to Satellite City and take my chances there when you showed up.'
'It can't be fixed?' asked the senator.
Spike shook his head inside his space suit.
'Nope,' he said, cheerfully, 'there's a couple of parts broke. I tried to weld them with my flame gun, but it didn't work. I ruined them entirely.'
V
Spike backed away, toward the top of the ridge.
'Stay back,' he warned, with his gun still leveled. 'Don't try to follow. I'll let you have it if you do.'