But no guard wearing the black and silver of the
Patrol stepped through to summon them to trial. Van Rycke stood in the
opening, half smiling at them with his customary sleepy benevolence.
"Well, well, and here's our missing ones," his purring voice was the most
beautiful sound Dane thought he had ever heard.
Chapter XVIII
BARGAIN CONCLUDED
"--and so we landed here, sir," Rip concluded his report in the
matter-of-fact tone he might have used in describing a perfectly ordinary
voyage, say between Terraport and Luna City, a run of no incident and
dull cargo carrying.
The crew of the Solar Queen, save for Tau, were assembled in a room
somewhere in the vastness of Patrol Headquarters. Since the room seemed a
comfortable conference chamber, Dane thought that their status must now
be on a higher level than that of Patrol Posted outlaws. But he was also
sure that if they attempted to walk out of the building that effort would
not be successful.
Van Rycke sat stolidly in his chosen seat, fingers of both hands laced
across his substantial middle. He had sat as impassively as the Captain
while Rip had outlined their adventures since they had all been stricken.
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