“Got to compare this with our present course—­”

“But that’s an I-S Stat,” began Dane and then he laughed as the justice of such a move struck him.  They did not dare set the Queen down at any Patrol Station.  But a Company one which would be manned by only two or three men and not expecting any but their own people—­and I-S owed them help now!

“There may be trouble,” he said, not that he would have any regrets if there was.  If the Eysies were responsible for the present plight of the Queen he would welcome trouble, the kind which would plant his fists on some sneering Eysie face.

“We’ll see about that when we come to it,” Rip went on to the control cabin with his figures.  Carefully he punched the combination on the plotter and watched it be compared with the course Jellico had set before his collapse.

“Good enough,” he commented as the result flashed on.  “We can make it without using too much fuel—­”

“Make what?” That was Ali up from the search of Kosti’s quarters.  “Nothing,” he gave his report of what he had found there and then returned to the earlier question.  “Make what?”

Swiftly Dane outlined their suspicions—­that the seat of the trouble lay in the hydro and that they should clean out that section, drawing upon emergency materials at the I-S E-Stat.

“Sounds all right.  But you know what they do to pirates?” inquired the Engineer-apprentice.

Space law came into Dane’s field, he needed no prompting.  “Any ship in emergency,” he recited automatically, “may claim supplies from the nearest E-Stat—­paying for them when the voyage is completed.”

“That means any Patrol E-Stat.  The Companies’ are private property.”

“But,” Dane pointed out triumphantly, “the law doesn’t say so—­there is nothing about any difference between Company and Patrol E-Stat in the law—­”

“He’s right,” Rip agreed.  “That law was framed when only the Patrol had such stations.  Companies put them in later to save tax—­remember?  Legally we’re all right.”

“Unless the agents on duty raise a howl,” Ali amended.  “Oh, don’t give me that look, Rip.  I’m not sounding any warn-off on this, but I just want you to be prepared to find a cruiser riding our fins and giving us the hot flash as bandits.  If you want to spoil the Eysies, I’m all for it.  Got a stat of theirs pinpointed?”

Rip pointed to the figures on the computer.  “There she is.  We can set down in about five hours’ ship time.  How long will it take to strip the hydro and re-install?”

“How can I tell?” Ali sounded irritable.  “I can give you oxgy for quarters for about two hours.  Depends upon how fast we can move.  No telling until we make a start.”

He started for the corridor and then added over his shoulder:  “You’ll have to answer a com challenge—­thought about that?”

“Why?” Rip asked.  “It might be com repairs bringing us in.  They won’t be expecting trouble and we will—­we’ll have the advantage.”