"I'm giving a party next week," the earless one said. "I'd like you to
come. We'd like to get the Spacer slant on life."
"Party?" Rolf repeated. "You mean, dancing, and games, and stuff like
that?"
"You'll enjoy it," the Earther said coaxingly. "And we'd all love to
have a real Spacer there."
"When is it?"
"A week."
"I have ten days left of my leave. All right," he said. "I'll come."
He accepted the Earther's card, looked at it mechanically, saw the
name--Kal Quinton--and pocketed it. "Sure," he said. "I'll be there."
The Earthers moved toward their little jetcar, smiling gratefully. As
Rolf crossed the street, the other Spacers greeted him with cold,
puzzled stares.
* * * * *
Kanaday was almost as tall as Rolf, and even uglier. Rolf's eyebrows
were bold and heavy; Kanaday's, thick, contorted, bushy clumps of hair.
Kanaday's nose had been broken long before in some barroom brawl; his
cheekbones bulged; his face was strong and hard. More important, his
left foot was twisted and gnarled beyond hope of redemption by the most
skillful surgeon. He had been crippled in a jet explosion three years
before, and was of no use to the Spacelines any more. They had pensioned
him off. Part of the deal was the dilapidated old house in Spacertown
which he operated as a boarding-house for transient Spacers.
"What do you want to do that for?" Kanaday asked. "Haven't those
Earthers pushed you around enough, so you have to go dance at one of
their wild parties?"
"Leave me alone," Rolf muttered.
"You like this filth you live in? Spacertown is just a ghetto, that's
all. The Earthers have pushed you right into the muck. You're not even
a human being to them--just some sort of trained ape. And now you're
going to go and entertain them. I thought you had brains, Rolf!"
"Shut up!" He dashed his glass against the table; it bounced off and
dropped to the floor, where it shattered.
Kanaday's girl Laney entered the room at the sound of the crash. She was
tall and powerful-looking, with straight black hair and the strong
cheekbones that characterized the Spacers. Immediately she stooped and
began shoveling up the broken glass.
"That wasn't smart, Rolf," she said. "That'll cost you half a credit.
Wasn't worth it, was it?"
Rolf laid the coin on the edge of the table. "Tell your pal to shut up,
then. If he doesn't stop icing me I'll fix his other foot for him and
you can buy him a dolly."