hat," said Pete craftily. "I gotta know more about
you before we talk business."

"What for instance?" asked Strong.

"For instance, who do you know on Spaceman's Row that can give you a
reference?"

Tom spoke up quickly without looking at Strong. "Suppose I told you I
helped pull a job a couple of weeks ago that was worth a hundred
thousand credits?" He settled back, casually glancing at Strong and
receiving an imperceptible nod in return.

"A hundred thousand, eh?" said Pete with interest. "Not bad, not bad.
What kind of a job was it?"

"Me and two other guys held up the Credit Exchange at the Solar
Exposition at Venusport."

"Oh?" Pete was becoming extremely curious. "You in on the job too,
Steve?"

Before Strong could answer, Tom spoke quickly. "No, I bought a half
interest in Steve's ship with my share of the take." Strong could hardly
keep from smiling, so easily was the young cadet's tale growing.

"Then who _was_ in on this job with you?" persisted the scar-faced man.
"You look pretty young to pull a big job like that."

Tom glanced around the room and then leaned over the table before
whispering, "Gus Wallace and Luther Simms."

"What?" exclaimed Pete. "Gus Wallace? A guy about six feet tall and two
hundred pounds? Has a heavy rough voice?"

"That's the one," said Tom.

Pete's arm shot across the table like a snake and he grabbed Tom by the
jacket. "Where is he?" he asked through clenched teeth.

No sooner had Pete touched Tom than Strong had his paralo-ray gun
leveled at the scar-faced man. "Take your hands off him," he said
coldly, "or I'll freeze you right where you are!"

Pete relaxed his grip and settled back into his chair. He glared at Tom
and then at Strong.

"All right," snapped Strong. "Now _you_ talk!"

Pete didn't say anything. Strong inched closer to the scar-faced man
menacingly. "I said _talk_! Why do you want to know where Gus Wallace
is? Maybe you're Solar Guard, eh? Trying to play a little trick on us.
How do I know you haven't got a squad of MP's outside waiting to pick us
up?"

Pete began to shift nervously. "You got me all wrong, Steve. I ain't
Solar Guard."

"Why do you want to know where Gus Wallace is, then?" Strong persisted.

Pete hesitated and had to be prodded with the paralo-ray gun again by
Strong. "Talk!" hissed Strong.

"You see this scar?" asked Pete. "Well, two years ago, on Spaceman's Row
in Marsopolis, Gus slashed me in a fight. I swore I'd do the s