"I thought they had
gotten a little space rocky on some homemade rocket juice and just went
on a wingding. Imagine the colossal nerve of those two wanting to corner
the market with the largest deposit of copper ever found."
"How do you plan to get it back, Major?" asked Shinny.
"I don't know, Shinny--"
"_Mr._ Shinny!" snapped the wizened spaceman. "_I'm_ not one of your
cadets!"
"Still the hotheaded rocket buster, eh?" asked Connel, eying the
toothless spaceman. "It was the same thing that got you kicked out of
the Solar Guard twenty years ago!"
"Wasn't either! And you know it!" snapped Shinny. "You retired me
because I busted my leg!"
"That helped," said Connel, "but the main reason was because you were
too hotheaded. Couldn't take orders!"
"Well," said Shinny doggedly, "I ain't in no Solar Guard now, and when
you talk to me, it's _Mr._ Shinny!"
"Why, you old goat!" exploded Connel. "I ought to arrest you for aiding
criminals!"
"You can't do a thing to me," barked Shinny. "Prospecting is
prospecting, whether it's in the asteroid belt or out here on Tara!"
Unable to hold back any longer, the four space cadets suddenly roared
with laughter at the sight of the two old space foes jawing at each
other.
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