They had done a good job at silencing the E-Stat, for they had
been almost six hours in space before the news of their raid was beamed
to the nearest Patrol post.
Ali laughed. "Told you we'd be pirates," he said when he listened to that
account of their descent upon the I-S station. "Though I didn't see all
that blaster work they're now raving about. You'd think we fought a major
battle there!"
Weeks growled. "The Eysies are trying to make it look good. Make us into
outlaws--"
But Rip did not share in the general amusement at the wild extravagation
of the report from the ether. "I notice they didn't say anything about
the voucher we left."
Ali's cynical smile curled. "Did you expect them to? The Eysies think
they have us by the tail fins now--why should they give us any benefit of
the doubt? We junked all our boosters behind us on this take-off, and
don't forget that, my friends."
Weeks looked confused. "But I thought you said we could do this legal,"
he appealed to Rip. "If we're Patrol Posted as outlaws--"
"They can't do any more to us than they can for running in a plague
ship," Ali pointed out.
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