Rip set his course for Terra--for that plague spot on their native world
where they might hide out the Queen until they could prove their
point--that the spacer was not a disease ridden ship to be feared. He
kept to the control cabin, shifting only between the Astrogator's and the
pilot's station. Upon him alone rested the responsibility of bringing in
the ship along a vector which crossed no well traveled space lane where
the Patrol might challenge them. Dane rode out the orbiting in the
Com-tech's seat, listening in for the first warning of danger--that they
had been detected.
The mechanical repetition of their list of crimes was now stale news and
largely off-ether. And from all traces he could pick up, they were lost
as far as the authorities were concerned. On the other hand, the Patrol
might indeed be as far knowing as its propaganda stated and the Queen was
running headlong into a trap. Only they had no choice in the matter.
It was the ship's inter-com bringing Ali's voice from the engine room
which broke the concentration in the control cabin.
"Weeks' down!"
Rip barked into the mike.
Pages:
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220