"Get on with it," urged Mayne, to forestall any wrangle. "Er ... yes. Then on the cargo, the purchase cost of two hundred thousand credits." Voorhis visibly flinched and began to acquire a ruddy hue. "And, finally, on the fuel load, the cost price of three hundred thousand. Of course, Judge, there are detailed clauses as to normal use of fuel. He was actually insured against defects, premature explosions, accidental loss, et cetera." Mayne did some addition in his head. "So your company," he said aloud, "is prepared to pay two and a half million for the loss sustained by Captain Voorhis. What seems to be wrong with that?" Both men began to talk but Melin, struggling less with temper, got the lead. "Actually," he said, "we feel liable for only three hundred thousand." _Now it will get tough_, thought Mayne. He silently awaited elucidation. The combined stares of all parties, including the enigmatic glance of Eemakh, calmed the spluttering Voorhis. Melin continued. "In the first place, the true value of the ship, even if we consider her to be incapacitated--which we do not--is only about one hundred and fifty thousand." "She's worth more than that as scrap!" bellowed Voorhis. "No, captain, just about that. It is exactly how we valued her. Do you have any idea, Judge, of how old that crock is?" "Let's not go into that just yet," suggested Mayne. "As to the fuel," said Melin, "I am willing, as a gesture of good will, to stick my company's neck out--and mine with it, you may be sure--and honor a full claim." "Even though he used about half the fuel getting here?" asked Mayne. "We'll ignore that. We admit that he is out of fuel, and we want to--" "You want to give me a moon and take a star," said Voorhis. "Just a minute!" Mayne held up his hand. "That's the ship and the fuel. What about the cargo?" "Why, as to that, Judge, we do not admit that it is lost. It is right over there, easily accessible. We consider it more the job of the Space Force to restore rightful possession than it is the responsibility of the company to reimburse Captain Voorhis for the inflated value he sets upon it." "I begin to see," murmured Mayne. "You can't stick each other, so you're out to slip _me_ the bill." That aroused a babble of denials. Mayne eventually made himself heard and demanded to know how the spacer's evaluation differed from Melin's. Voorhis pulled himself together, glowering at the insurance man. * * * * * "In the first place," he growled, "I don't want his lousy payment for fuel. I said I'd take the blame for that, an' I will. On the ship ... well, maybe she ain't worth two million. Maybe she ain't been for a few years now--" Melin made a show of counting on his fingers. "... But they charged me premiums by that figure an' I say they oughta pay by that figure." "But can you prove she's a total loss, captain?" asked Mayne. Voorhis grimaced and spat upon the ground.