c control. Only instead of
talking to the pilot--they'll be talking to us. Because we'll have taken
over."

"But unless we land they'll be suspicious. And if we land ..."

Loring interrupted. "Nobody's going to suspect a thing. I'll tell
traffic control we've got an extra-heavy load. Then they won't let us
land. We follow their orders and blast off into space--find an emergency
fuel station--head for Tara--and nobody suspects anything."

Mason twisted his face into a scowl. "Sounds awful risky to me," he
muttered.

"Sure it's risky," sneered Loring, "but you don't hit the jackpot
without ever taking a _chance_!"

The two men, huddled against a jumble of packing cases in the cargo hold
of the _Annie Jones_, made careful preparations. Checking their weapons,
they opened their way toward the freighter's control deck. Just outside
the hatch they stopped, paralo-ray guns ready, and listened.

Inside, Pilot James Jardine and Leland Bangs, his first officer, were
preparing for the landing at the space station.

"Ought to be picking up the approach radar signal pretty soon," said
Bangs. "Better take her off automatic control, Jardine. Use the manual
for close maneuvering."

"Right," answered his spacemate. "Send out a radar blip for them to pick
up. I'll check the cargo and make sure it's lashed down for landing.
Captain Stefens is tough when it comes to being shipshape."

The freighter blasted evenly, smoothly onward through the darkness of
space in a straight line for the man-made satellite. Jardine got up from
the freighter's dual-control board, picked up a portable light, and
headed for the hatch leading to the cargo deck.

"He's coming," hissed Loring. "We'll take him soon's he reaches us."
There was a sharp clank as the hatch opened, and Jardine's head came
into view.

"Now!" yelled Loring. He swung the heavy paralo-ray gun at Jardine's
head.

"What the--" exclaimed the startled spaceman. "Bangs, look out!"

He tried to avoid the blow, but Loring's gun landed on the side of his
head. Jardine crumpled to the deck.

Bangs was out of his seat in a moment, at his pilot's call. The burly
redheaded spaceman saw at a glance what was wrong and lunged for the
hatch.

Loring stepped toward him, holding his paralo-ray.

"All right, spaceboy!" he grated. "Hold it or I'll freeze you stiff!"

Bangs stopped and stared at the gun and at Jardine who was slumped on
the deck. Mason rushed past him to the controls.

"