As Farradyne stood wondering what to do, a knuckle-on-metal rap came at
the spacelock entrance and he turned to see Howard Clevis coming in.
Clevis said nothing, for he had caught sight of Norma. He stopped stock
still and looked her over from hair to heels. His face grew bitter and
hard, and he turned away from her to face Farradyne.
"Farradyne, this isn't the contact you've managed to make?" The tone
was heavy with scorn.
Farradyne shook his head sourly. "She's the one that got me started,"
he said. "But--"
"You've started," snapped Clevis angrily. "That's a real hellflower
she's doping, you know."
"For God's sake listen!" yelled Farradyne.
"You listen to me!" yelled Clevis, louder than Farradyne.
Their voices rang up and down the corridors of the ship and Norma's
eyes opened. She looked happily at Farradyne, but when she saw Clevis
her eyes clouded.
"Howard," she said quietly.
"Why did you run away, Norma? Your folks--"
She shook her head slowly. "I know," she said. "There's even a reward
out for me that Farradyne tried to collect. I couldn't sit around
and watch my mother and father eating their hearts out. A son killed
and a daughter ruined--both by hellflowers. So here I am again. For
their sakes I wish I were dead--but that wouldn't cut the hide of a
hellflower operator, would it, Howard?" Farradyne gulped.
Norma went on: "Charles, may I have my old room for the night? I gather
that you two would like to talk business."