"Sweetheart, all we have left is about a hundred and fifty credits."
"That may be all _you_ have left," she said proudly, "but that isn't
all _we_ have left. If my addition is correct, we have ninety thousand
cash credits in my purse, right at this minute!"
"What! How do you mean?"
Celia put her arm in mine. "I played a dirty trick on you, darling. You
signed and I added another zero."
"You took out a hundred thousand! No wonder that teller made such a
fuss."
"Dear, I thought you might have to use a little bribery. I knew Freddie
was in trouble, and that was my fault, of course. I'm the villain in
his home-life!" She smiled ruefully, then looked at the _Pericles_, her
eyes brimming with tears. "But I had no idea they'd try to take him
away from us!"
My thoughts pulsed wildly. "Look, Celia! We can both get aboard!
Give me the money!" I took her purse and ran over to the huddle of
colonizers.
"I've got ninety-thousand cash credits! Who'll give up his place on the
_Pericles_?"
The group turned to face me in astonishment. One man came forward. I
thought I saw a gun hidden in his sleeve. "Ninety thousand?"
"That's right. Who wants it?"
"Ninety thousand is a small fortune," said the man. "Anyone with that
kind of money shouldn't need to pull up stakes on Earth and start life
all over again on a new planet. Should he?"
"I don't imagine so. Who'll take ninety thousand for his place on the
_Pericles_?" I repeated over his shoulder.
"Unless he has some special, very compelling reason for leaving Earth,"
the stranger continued.
* * * * *