"Can't you stay sober?" With a stride Lodar swept the bottle away and smashed it on the deck.
"What for?" McVane slumped against the wall.
Lodar raised his hands angrily, but Ellenor moved swiftly and swung him away from the groggy engineer.
"Let him alone!" she raged. "He doesn't care any more. You can't beat that out of him!"
Lodar's eyes glittered. "You know too much about everything," he said tightly.
Her chin tilted defiantly. "I know that you'll never see Earth again!"
"Damn you!" He lashed out suddenly. His slap sent her sprawling against the wall.
With a snarl Ray hurled himself at Lodar. His fist slammed a shoulder as Lodar spun to meet the infuriated charge. A second blow, that crunched Ray's knuckles on the other's head, never even jarred the larger man.
Growling, he reached out. His huge hands closed on Ray's neck, the thumbs dug into his windpipe.
"You dumb fool!" Lodar's clenched teeth lay bare between tight drawn lips. Convulsively his strangling grip tightened.