Two of Big Ed's trigger men lay on the floor. One had just connected with a high-voltage charge from Charley. The other had quietly fainted. Denver dumped them outside, helped Darbor up and closed the ship for take-off. He switched off cabin lights.
He wasted no time in discussion until the ship was airborne and had nosed through the big dome-valves into the airless Lunar sky.
A fat hunk of Earth looked like a blueberry chiffon pie, but was brighter. It cast crazy shadows on the terrain unreeling below.
Darbor sat beside him. She felt dazed, and wondered briefly what had happened to her.
Less than an hour before she had entered the Pot o' Stars with nothing on her mind but assessing the clients and the possible receipts for the day. Too much had happened and too rapidly. She could not assimilate details.
Something launched itself through darkness at her. It snugged tightly to shoulder and neck and made chuckling sounds. Stiff fur nuzzled her skin. There was a vague prickling of hot needles, but it was disturbing rather than painful. She screamed.
"Shut up!" said Denver, laughing. "It's just Charley. But don't excite him or you'll regret it."
From the darkness came a confused burble of sounds as Charley explored and bestowed his affections upon a new friend still too startled to appreciate the gesture. Darbor tried vainly to fend off the lavish demonstrations.
Denver gunned the space sled viciously, and felt the push of acceleration against his body. He headed for a distant mountain range.
"Just Charley, my pet moondog," he explained.