"Hurry, man," Captain Thompson said as Rick went to work. His black angry eyes fixed themselves on Johnny.
"We should have left you out there."
"I'm sorry," Johnny said.
In answer the man cuffed Johnny with the back of his hand. Johnny couldn't be angry. He knew what a rhinosaur raid was like, and this one was his fault.
"Oh, leave the kid alone," Rick said from above.
"Leave him alone!" Thompson snorted, and glared first at Johnny and then at Baba. "The kid and that bear have caused more trouble...."
Captain Thompson stopped talking and stared at Baba. He reached out suddenly and grabbed the little bear by the paw.
"Well, look at this!" he said in a hushed tone.
In the steamy darkness of the tank Baba's nails shone clear and blue. The climbing and running had worn off all the paint.
Thompson held up Baba's paws into the light of an observation slit. He scraped with one of his finger nails.