"The generosity of your information overwhelms me." Marnay stared around some more. Everything was stark and bare, save for the necessary controls. "Wish we had a couple of long range atom-blasts like the Patrol ships carry. Any aboard?" "No weapons at all aboard," Kennett stated. "How comforting! You sure make a fellow feel right at home." "You don't sound very confident in me and the _Vera_," Kennett said. "Don't you believe we can get Prather?" "Oh sure! I believe in fairies, and Santa Claus, and the Easter rabbit, and you and the _Vera_. Hell, don't get me wrong, Kennett. You can't shake me now, you've picked yourself a crew!" Kennett permitted himself a smile as he moved swiftly to the controls. "Good! I knew you'd think that way." Marnay said: "Don't flatter me, I _never_ think. There's always been idiocy in my family and this proves it." * * * * * They'd been about twelve hours out when Kennett handed over the controls. He moved down the corridor into the middle part of the ship. Marnay heard him pounding and moving around back there for hours, but couldn't imagine what he was doing. When he returned, Kennett pulled a lever and a heavy double door slid across, isolating the control room and part of the corridor from the rest of the ship. He volunteered no explanation, however. On Marnay's off-duty he moved back toward those doors, experimentally. Kennett stopped him with: "Sorry, but this will have to be our quarters from now on." Marnay nodded to himself. He was a newsman, a good one, and he knew people. He could see that Kennett was restless and impatient for action despite the fact that he was deliberately holding the _Vera's_ speed down. But Marnay said nothing, and on the second day out, Kennett seemed a little more talkative. He said: "I guess you've been wondering why I want so much to get Prather." Marnay shrugged, but looked at his companion shrewdly. "Wondering? No, I'm not wondering. Only last month Tri-Planet Metals boosted the reward up to a half million." "That so? I didn't know that. But then, I haven't thought much about the reward angle." Kennett sounded as though he meant it. He went on: "You know how Prather works, I suppose." "Ramming?" Marnay said. "Yes, I know. His ship is supposed to be built of some tough new metal he found on Mercury. I've heard that even his tubes are made of it, and are slightly expansive under pressure, giving him greater speed than any tubes yet known." "That's probably true," Kennett said. "But the important thing is, he can ram completely through any ordinary spacer. And usually does." Marnay nodded. "I've heard such stories."