Red Hat Girl

'McCready & Swanson.' ¡¡¡¡'Sir!' Wolf Larsen thundered. ¡¡¡¡'McCready & Swanson, sir,' the boy corrected, his eyes burning with a bitter light. ¡¡¡¡'Who got the advance money?' ¡¡¡¡'They did, sir.' ¡¡¡¡'I thought as much. And devilish glad you were to let them have it. Couldn't make yourself scarce too quick, with several gentlemen you may have heard of looking for you.' ¡¡¡¡The boy metamorphosed into a savage on the instant. His body bunched together as though for a spring, and his face became as an infuriated beast's as he snarled, 'It's a-' ¡¡¡¡'A what?' Wolf Larsen asked, a peculiar softness in his voice, as though he were overwhelmingly curious to hear the unspoken word. ¡¡¡¡The boy hesitated, then mastered his temper. 'Nothin', sir. I take it back.' ¡¡¡¡'And you have shown me I was right.' This with a gratified smile. 'How old are you?' ¡¡¡¡'Just turned sixteen, sir.' ¡¡¡¡'A lie. You'll never see eighteen again. Big for your age at that, with muscles like a horse. Pack up your kit and go for'ard into the fo'c's'le. You're a boat-puller now. You're promoted; see?'

Red Hat Girl

A feeble whistle issued from the apologetic robot, but it was Threepio and notthe recalcitrant rover who was abruptly doing most of the talking. "Master Luke here is now your rightful owner, Artoo. How could you justamble away from him like this? Now that's he's found you, let's have no more ofthis 'Obi-wan Kenobi's gibberish. I don't know where picked that up—or thatmelodramatic hologram, either." Artoo started to beep in protest, but Threepio's indignation was too great topermit excuses. "And don't talk to me about your mission. What rot! You'refortunate Master Luke doesn't blast you into a million pieces right here and now." "Not much chance of that," admitted Luke, a bit overwhelmed by Threepio'scasual vindictiveness. "Come on—it's getting late." He eyed the rapidly risingsuns. "I just hope we can get back before Uncle Owen really lets go." "If you don't mind my saying so," Threepio suggested, apparently unwilling thatthe Artoo unit should get off so easily, "I think you ought to deactivate the littlefugitive until you've gotten him safely back in the garage." "No. He's not going to try anything." Luke studied the softly beeping 'droidsternly. "I hope he's learned his lesson. There's no need to—" Without warning the Artoo unit suddenly leaped off the ground—no mean featconsidering the weakness of the spring mechanisms in his three thick legs. Hiscylindrical body was twisting and spinning as he let out a frantic symphony ofwhistles, hoots, and electronic exclamations.

Red Hat Girl

Biggs's easygoing smugness dissolved into something warmer. "I've missedyou, kid." Luke looked away, embarrassed. "Things haven't exactly been the same sinceyou left, either, Biggs. It's been so—" Luke hunted for the right word and finallyfinished helplessly, "so quiet." His gaze traveled across the sandy, deserted streets ofAnchorhead. "Its always been quiet, really." Biggs grew silent, thinking. He glanced around. They were along out there.Everyone else was back inside the comparative coolness of the power station. As heleaned close Luke sense an unaccustomed solemness in his friend's tone. "Luke, I don't come back just to say good-bye, or to crow over everyone becauseI got through the Academy." Again he hesitate, unsure of himself. Then he blurtedout rapidly, not giving himself a chance to back down, "But I want somebody to know.I can't tell my parents." Gaping at Biggs, Luke could only gulp, "Know what? What are you talkingabout?" "I'm talking about the talking that's been going on at the Academy—and otherplaces, Luke. Strong talking. I made some new friends, outsystem friends. Weagreed about the way certain things are developing, and—" his voice droppedconspiratorially—"When we reach one of the peripheral systems, we're going to jumpship and join the Alliance."