"We will go into the warp well beyond the atmosphere," Harding said. "Transition cannot be made within an atmosphere. Since a very moderate normal space velocity of the ship will be transformed into a greater-than-light velocity when in the warp, it is desirable that we make turn-over and decelerate to a very low speed before going into the warp." "Yes, sir," he said. "I was briefed on that part and I'll bring us as near to a halt as that cruiser will permit." "There will be communication between us during the flight," Harding said. "I will give you further instructions when they become necessary." He turned away with an air of dismissal. Engle went to the ladder by the wall. He climbed up it and through the interroom airlock, closing the airlock behind him; the routine safety measure in case any single room was punctured. He went to the control board with a vague resentment gnawing for the first time at his normally placid good nature. So far as Harding was concerned--and Garvin, too--he might as well have been an unusually intelligent baboon. * * * * * Zero hour came and the _Argosy_ lifted until Earth was a tremendous, curving ball below and the stars were brilliant points of light in a black sky. The Slug cruiser swung to intercept him within the first minute of flight but it seemed to move with unnatural slowness. It should have been driving in at full speed and it wasn't.... "Something's up," Ground Control said. "It's coming in too slowly." "I see that," he answered. "It must be covering something beyond it, in your radar shadow." It was. When he was almost free of the last traces of atmosphere he saw the other cruiser, far out and hidden from Ground Control's radar by the radar shadow cast by the first one. He reported, giving its position and course as given him by the robot astrogating unit. "We'll have the greatest amount of time if I make turn-over now and decelerate," he finished. The voice of Harding came through the auxiliary speaker: "Do so." The _Argosy_ swung, end for end, and he decelerated. The cruiser behind him increased its speed, making certain it would be in position to cut off any return to Earth. The other cruiser altered its course to intersect the point in space the _Argosy_ would soon occupy, and the _Argosy_ was between the rapidly closing jaws of a trap. He made reports to Ground Control at one-minute intervals. At 11:49 he said: "Our velocity is approaching zero. We'll be within range of the second cruiser's blasters in two more minutes." Harding spoke again to him: "We'll go into the warp now. _Do not_ alter the deceleration or the course of the ship while we're in the warp." "I won't," he said.