Mike Doren glared at the instrument savagely, and glanced quickly to the lower view screen. The asteroid fragment was still a few feet below. "Static from the cable," he growled. "Wait! We don't want to lose this thing." "That's a Patrol Officer on the screen," Holber said doubtfully, and smiled. "But I can't make out enough to tell his rank, so it's not insubordination if we wait." The current flowing through the cable to the magnet was the same high frequency used in the ship itself--there was no space in a compact Patrol vessel for unnecessary converters. But, inside, the current was screened against interference with visaphone reception; while outside, pulsing through the cable, it set up an interference field. In a matter of seconds, the magnet and its captive were inside the hull, and the bay doors closed. Mike jabbed off the magnetizing current, and the two heard the heartening thump of the asteroid fragment against the outer hull. They heard, too, the voice from the visaphone, suddenly clear and imperative against the still jangling alarm: "... Kadine. Repeating:..." Mike's jaw dropped. "Ring of Saturn! Talk about the devil!" On the visaphone screen was a Colonel of the Inter-Planetary Patrol. Behind him could be seen a spacious control room--the nerve center of a luxury space liner. The Colonel's square, rugged face was white with anger. His words were clipped. "Repeating! All Patrol ships in vicinity of Space Lane 6, be on lookout for Dhain Kadine, who has halted and robbed Earth Liner, _Jovian Nymph_!" The words swept the weariness from Nord's face, and brought flame leaping from the depths of his grey eyes! Space Lane 6 was almost directly above their position. He saw Mike's features light with eagerness. Dhain Kadine had struck out from the wild Belt that was his impregnable stronghold; and now Nord Holber and Mike Doren, hugging the upper fringe of the Belt, were between the outlaw and safety! "It's our chance!" Mike shouted. "Promotion--the end of this rookie fishing business--if we get him! We--" * * * * * In the visaphone, the Colonel went on, his voice bitter with chagrin; "Valuable scientific documents have been taken under threat of destruction to an unarmed passenger ship. "Kadine traveling in direction of the Eos Family. Imperative that the Patrol intercept and destroy Dhain Kadine!" He paused, and added grimly; "_Jovian Nymph_ standing by." Mike Doren whistled. "Must be some important papers! Why weren't they sent by Patrol ship then?" Nord's eyes were speculative. "The Patrol's busy off Jupiter's moons. There's trouble brewing with the underground Jovian League trying to agitate the moons out of the System Federation. It's ticklish business, Mike--dynamite, in fact, with the System Congress expecting violence! "Kadine's supposed to be in that business up to his ears, so somebody thought he'd be too busy to intercept a liner."