Henry said, "They're going to steal the ice-sweeper. That's why I had to be taken aboard, so I could wreck your equipment and keep you from reporting us or calling the other stations. The sweeper is supposed to vanish without a trace. I'm sorry I ruined your radio, Ranjit. I was supposed to try to keep the crew from becoming suspicious while Vicenzo and Aziz were clinching. They're going to move the sweeper into a Sun orbit, somewhere, and use it for a base. They're going to hijack spaceships." "Of all the crazy schemes!" Ranjit snorted. "You gangsters are space happy! You're ready for the psychodocs! You can't get away with gangstering these days! I fought your grandfathers in the Crime War. I was in the Battle of Jupiter Orbit. We whipped you good, and nearly wiped you out, but, ever so often, a few of you still turn up and try silly stuff like this. Solar Government will get you!" Vicenzo said, "Shut up, old man! Aziz, hold the girl. If the rest of you don't behave while I'm tying you, Aziz will stab her." "Dat'd be a awful waste," Aziz said, twisting Morna's arms behind her back. Morna began to cry again. Teardrops floated like tiny planets. Vicenzo pulled a long cord from his pack and lifted Joachim with one hand. "Save the Rings," Joachim mumbled. "You are desecrating the glory of the Solar System." Vicenzo lashed Joachim's wrists to an overhead pipe. Vicenzo said, "All right, Henry, you and the old man put your hands against that pipe." Ranjit said, "I'm 107 years old, but never in my life--" "I'm going to shut you up, if you don't do it yourself," Vicenzo promised. He secured Ranjit beside Joachim and then started tying Henry's wrists to the pipe. "Be careful what you do to the sweeper, Vicenzo," Henry begged. "Ranjit was telling me how dangerous it is. If anything causes the velocity to drop, we'll fall on Saturn." "You think I'm stupid? That's the way with anything in an orbit. The closer to a planet, the faster you've got to go. Bring the girl, Aziz." CHAPTER III Morna struggled and kicked the spacesuits while Vicenzo tied her next to Henry. Aziz said, "You think there's really a chance of us fallin'? I'd hate to plop in all that methane." "No," said Vicenzo. "Old man, where's the control room? We're moving this whole station with the two ships clamped on." "Hadn't we oughta put some water in our tanks, in case we gotta scram quick?" Aziz asked. "They're about empty." Ranjit chuckled. "You'll have to wait four hours to tank up. I just got the heater going a while ago. There's an SG ship due in soon. You better give up." "You're lying in strings!" Vicenzo said. "You must have fuel for the sweeper's motors. Where's the control room?" "I ain't saying." "He'll tell," Aziz gloated, raising his knife. "We can find it quicker," Vicenzo said and turned away. Aziz followed him through the door.