Quirl felt himself redden. And a cold fear seemed to overwhelm him. He realized that Strom was a zealot, and he knew he would not hesitate to kill. This prompt penetration of his disguise was something he had not bargained for. "What makes you think," he asked shortly, "that I'm an I.F.P. man?" "The fight you gave Gore and his men. Do you expect me to think that a coupon clipper could have done that? I know the way of--" He checked himself. Quirl said: "My people have money. I don't know what you mean about--" "Oh, yes, you do," Strom interrupted. "If you were what you claim to be perhaps I would let you go for the ransom, though you took my eye from the first." "The ransom will be paid." "It will not. You will be one of those who do not return. There is only one price I will accept from you." "Yes? What is that?" "The formula of the new etheric ray." "I don't know the I.F.P. secrets. I told you that." "You know how to operate the ray. All its men do. I want you to tell me what you know. I can deduce the rest." * * * * * Quirl thought rapidly. Strom was right. The I.F.P. had developed a new ray that was far superior to the ionizer ray, for the latter required an atmosphere of some kind for its operation, while the new one would work equally well in a vacuum. "I never heard of any," he lied stubbornly. "Anyway, what do you want a ray for? Your guns, with no gravity to interfere and no air to stop the bullets, have just about unlimited range, haven't they?" "Spoken like a soldier!" Again Strom permitted himself a brief triumphant smile. "And we have the further advantage of invisibility. The ship is surrounded by a net of wires that create a field of force which bend light rays around us. That explains why your men have never caught us. But to get back to our subject. I will tell you something. Do you know who I am?" Quirl looked at him. Strom appeared to be at least sixty years old. But the fine, erect figure, the rugged features told nothing. "Did you ever hear of Lieutenant Burroughs?" Strom asked casually. "Burroughs--the man without a planet!" Quirl ejaculated. "Are you Burroughs, the traitor?" Immediately he regretted his heedlessness. Strom's face darkened in anger, and for a moment the pirate captain did not reply. When he did he was a little calmer. "Traitor they called me!" he exclaimed vehemently. "I a traitor--the most loyal man in the solar system guard. Surrounded by rottenness and intrigue--