Cissel rolled her eyes, though she didn't sheathe her blades. Both she and Elena were practically drooling at the blue-tinted stone.
"Come on, John," Cissel pleaded, her voice uncharacteristically high. "Just let us take a little bit of these beautiful rocks. For science."
"We promise we'll behave!" Elena added, gulping as she stared at the big rock again. John shook his head, struggling to suppress a laugh at their transparent desperation.
"Wait a few days," he said firmly. He turned to Goven, throwing the Kroger a pointed look. "We'll be ready to excavate some of these in a few days, right?"
"Ah, right! Yes! Absolutely! A few days!" Goven stammered. The hesitation was etched into every line of his alien face; he was lying through his teeth, and everyone knew it. Yet, he had to play along with John's lead, especially when John gave him a subtle, commanding nod.
