"For our weekend on Phobos," I said. "Remember?"
She laughed. "There's another little detail you overlooked, William. My
ring size is five and one-half."
"Ring?" I said. "Oh, a ring.... Would you rather have a Tellurian
diamond, an A-belt fire-opal, or--"
"Nothing expensive," she cut me off. "Something simpler would be more
appropriate, I think. Under the circumstances, I'd suggest a plain
gold band."
I gaped at her like a swamp-guppy until it seeped through my skull that
she was in dead earnest.
"Wait up," I said. "What about Perry Acree?"
She snapped her fingers. "_That_ for Perry. I thought I wanted the
little creep until you brought him back, but after that I couldn't bear
the sight of him."
"You mean," I said, grasping at any straw, "that you really want to
be--"
"Married," she said definitely. "First and firmly, or no Phobos trips!"
"It wouldn't last," I argued. "Being an A-belt prospector's wife is no
snap, Cheryl. I'd be out in the _Annabelle_ for weeks on end, slamming
around in God knows what kind of dangers. And one of these days I
wouldn't come back at all and you'd be a widow."
"_You_ wouldn't be slamming around," she corrected me softly. "_We_
would, Willie dear. I'd be with you every minute."
That did it. It was "Willie dear" already, and she'd be with me every
minute. Even in port....
"I'll have to give this some serious thought," I said. "Look, you
wouldn't want us to plunge into a deal that wouldn't work out, would
you?"
"Of course not," she said with a demure certainty that made my blood
curdle. "But this will work, Willie darling. I'll see to that."
I got out of there and went down to Martian Bankings in the devil of
a hurry. They were apologetic over selling my grubstake lien, and
were glad to advance me a few thousand credits against Joey-Cora's
expectations.
For once I passed the Argonaut Club without even looking back. A homo
with a skinful of skohl is short on resistance, and resistance just
then was what I needed most.
When I reached the blastoff aprons, the _Annabelle's_ rusty old hulk
was the sweetest sight I ever saw. I pointed her lovely, meteor-dented
nose at the sky and blasted off, and the howling of her jets was like
a lullaby in my ears. The starry backdrop of space ahead was like a
cosmos-sized painting of all Creation, a master canvas done.