Bolts by Alexander Key Page A

the greatest find of the century!”
    â€œSlim,” said Bolts, “consider yourself rescued as of now. The commander says he’s got a place for you. So pack your ditty bag, and let’s scram.”
    â€œI will not!” Slim said emphatically. “Haven’t I made myself clear? My family has never served any but proper people. I couldn’t possibly lower myself and do otherwise.”
    Bolts stared at him, astounded. Then he snapped, “Aw, get off your high horse and lissen to reason! My people are right outta the top drawer, and they don’t come better!”
    â€œI fear you’re mistaken,” Slim said haughtily. “Proper people are rare, and they certainly don’t exist in this remote corner of the universe. Furthermore, the language you speak is anything but proper.”
    â€œAw, you can’t judge ’em by the way I talk. I’m only a tin dawg!”
    â€œWell, if your people are so proper, what color is their blood?”
    â€œBright red, of course!”
    â€œOh, how garish! Don’t you know that the best blood is blue?”
    â€œPshaw!” Bolts turned away in disgust. “I never seen such a highfalutin’ critter! If you’d rather stay here on your lonesome and yak with the space bats till you’re batty, it’s up to you. I ’m goin’ to Battleship Lane.”
    â€œWait!” Slim cried. “I—I don’t want to stay here. But I simply can’t allow myself to choose im properly. There’s one absolute and positive proof about people.” He clenched his four hands together nervously, then asked almost in a whisper, “H-how do they feel about—flowers?”
    â€œHuh?” Bolts gaped at him. “What’s flowers got to do with it?”
    â€œBecause,” said Slim, “it takes a top-drawer brain to fully appreciate flowers. Only proper people have top-drawer brains.”
    Poor Bolts was suddenly doubtful. Somehow he’d got the idea that only sissies went in for flowers. And you sure couldn’t call Bingo a sissy, or the commander either. On the other hand there wasn’t anything wrong with their brains. Then he thought, By Joe, mebbe I’m the sissy one, ’cause I sure think these flowers are super! Or does that just prove I got me a real top-drawer brain?
    Time was passing, and he knew there was only one thing to do.
    â€œSlim,” he said, “I got a feeling my whole gang would be downright loopy about these things—but don’t take my word for it. Grab all you can carry, and come and see for yourself.”
    So it was that Bolts and Slim, much to the astonishment of everyone, presently appeared with enough glass blossoms to make the Space Jumper look like a florist’s shop.
    â€œWow!” Bingo exclaimed in delight, practically overcome.
    â€œGleaming glory!” gasped the commander, also practically overcome. “I’ve never seen anything so gorgeous!”
    â€œBlow me down!” said Big Butch, awed. “They’re out of this world!”
    â€œOut of this world!” cackled Pirate. “Out of this world!”
    And even Claws, who had seldom glanced at a flower, nearly purred himself hoarse.
    The happiest of all, of course, was Slim, for he was sure now that he had found a proper household.
    By this time the asteroid was far past the earth’s orbit, and every second was taking it farther and farther away. So naturally the flight home took them days instead of hours. In the beginning, poor Bolts almost overheated his brain trying to make proper translations for Slim and the commander. However, long before they landed at Battleship Lane, Slim was spouting English like a schoolteacher and was becoming scandalized by Bolts’s speech and manners.
    â€œI do appreciate all you’ve done for me,” he told Bolts very politely. “And as a return favor I’m sure the commander will be pleased if