"What? Say, wait a minute! This isn't the _Liberty_? You're not the ones I heard about on the radio? The ones who stole a brand new cruiser and--" * * * * * He paused, then rocked with infectious laughter. Whatever strain had existed on the _Liberty's_ bridge disappeared as all joined him in his mirth. When finally the redhead had regained his composure, he picked up the fallen epaulettes, returned them to Warren with a courtly bow. "My apologies, Captain. I am afraid I cannot take these. It appears we're both in the same boat, figuratively as well as literally speaking. And, after all, there _is_ 'honor amongst thieves', you know. But--tell me? All I have heard is the World Council's side of the story. I'm sure the whole truth must be interesting. Tell me about it." So they told him the entire tale. Of Lane's discovery, the attack in the Observatory, the World Council's refusal to grant a ship, and the subsequent theft of the _Liberty_. Of their recent adventure on Venus. As Gary spoke, the laughter faded from the corsair's lips and eyes. A new seriousness gathered about the corners of his mouth and anger tightened his lean, lithe figure. He interrupted, frowning. "Just a moment. These calculations of yours--you're sure they're right?" "If mathematics is a pure science, yes." "And the Venusian government--you say it refused to give you the fuel you need?" "That's right," said Gary glumly, "and without it, I'm afraid--" He shrugged. But Lark O'Day turned sharply to his lieutenant. In his voice was a note which the others had not heard before. It proved beyond need of demonstration why laughing Lark O'Day could command a hard-bitten crew as his. "Call the men, Mark. Get them aboard the _Black Star_ and place every hand at battle stations. Open the gun ports. Not short range--the troposphere rotors. Prepare for immediate action. If those damned fools--" He spun to Warren angrily. "Captain, may I request the use of your radioman and signal turret for a short time?" "Why--why, yes," faltered Warren. "Good! Then we'll teach those idiots to sacrifice an entire system to their own selfish greed!" "What are you going to do?" demanded Gary. O'Day laughed, a single explosive bark in which was little mirth. "Do? Why, I'm going to get you that fuel you need, of course! The Venusian Council knows me of old ... and they know what the _Black Star's_ guns can do. I'm going to call them now and tell them that unless they load your fuel bins to the last millimeter I'll blast Sun City off the face of their stinking planet. Come along if you want!" And he headed for the radio turret.