Johnny
prodded Tawney with the stunner. "You first," he said.

"But where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," Johnny said.

"It was a trick," Tawney said, glaring at Tom. "They told me they shot
your ship to pieces...."

"The ship, yes," Tom said. "Not me."

"Well ... well, that's good, that's good," Tawney said quickly. He
turned to Greg. "You don't have to take me back ... the bargain is still
good...."

"Move," Johnny Coombs said.

With Tawney between them, Greg and Tom marched down the corridor toward
the airlock, with Johnny bringing up the rear. No one stopped them. No
one even came near them. One crewman stumbled on them in the corridor;
he saw Tawney with a gun in his back, and fled in terror.

They found the scout-ship, and strapped Tawney down to an accelleration
bunk, binding his hands and feet so he couldn't move. Greg checked the
controls while Tom and Johnny strapped down. A moment later the engines
fired, and the leaking wreck of the orbit-ship fell away, dwindling and
disappearing in the blackness of space.

It was a quiet journey. The red dot that was Mars grew larger every
hour. One of the three stayed awake at all times to watch Tawney while
the others slept. During the second rest period, Tom woke up while Greg
was on duty.

"How's our prisoner doing?" Tom asked.

"No problem there, he can barely move. I almost wish he'd try something,
he's too quiet."

It was true. Tawney had recovered from his shock ... but rather than
grow more worried as Mars grew large on the screen, he seemed to become
more cheerful by the minute. "He doesn't seem very worried, does he?"
Tom said.

"No, and it doesn't quite add. We've got enough on him to get Jupiter
Equilateral pushed right out of the Belt."

"I'd still feel better if we had the whole picture for the Major," Tom
said. "We still don't know what Dad found, or where he hid it...."

The uneasiness grew. Tawney ignored them, staring at the image of the
red planet on the viewscreen almost eagerly. Then, eight hours out of
Sun Lake City a U.N. Patrol ship appeared, moving toward them swiftly.
"Intercepting orbit," Greg said. "Looks like they were waiting for us."

They watched as the big ship moved in to tangential orbit, matching its
speed to theirs. Then Greg snapped the communicator switch. "Sound off,"
he said cheerfully. "We've got a prize for you."

"Stand by, we're boarding you," the Patrol sent back. "And put your
weapons aside."

Fou