"O.K., you can have 'em. Which brings us back to the present. Question: Was that an abortive attempt upon our ship, or was that a mistaken try at melting a meteor?" "I know how to find out. Let's call Charley Thomas and have him get on the rails. We can have him request Terran Electric to give us any information they may have on energy beams to date." "They'd tell you?" scorned Arden. "If they write _no!_, and we find out that they did, we'll sue 'em dead. They're too shaky to try anything deep right now." "Going to make it an official request, hey?" "Right. From the Station, it'll go out in print, and their answer will be on the 'type, too, since business etiquette requires it. They'll get the implication if they're on the losing end. That'll make 'em try something slick. If they're honest, they'll tell all." "That'll do it all right," said Walt. "They're too shaky to buck us any more. And if they are trying anything, it'll show." * * * * * The rest of the trip was without incident. They put in at Canalopsis and found Keg Johnson with an official 'gram waiting for them. Don Channing ripped it open and read: Interplanetary Communications Attention Dr. Channing: No project for energy-beam capable of removing meteors under way at Terran Electric, or at any of the subsidiary companies. Ideas suggested along these lines have been disproven by your abortive attempt of a year ago, and will not be considered unless theory is substantiated in every way by practical evidence. If you are interested, we will delve into the subject from all angles. Please advise. Terran Electric Co. Board of Legal Operations Mark Kingman, LLD. Channing smiled wryly at Keg Johnson and told him of their trouble. "Oh?" said Keg, with a frown. "Then you haven't heard?" "Heard what?" "Hellion Murdoch has been on the loose for weeks." "Weeks!" yelled Channing. "Uh-huh. He feigned gangrene, was taken to the base hospital where he raised hob in his own, inimitable way. He blasted the communications set-up completely, ruined three spaceships, and made off with the fourth. The contact ship just touched there recently and found hell brewing. If they hadn't had a load of supplies and prisoners for the place, they wouldn't have known about it for months, perhaps." "So! Brother Murdoch is loose again. Well! The story dovetails in nicely." "You think that was Hellion himself?" "I'd bet money on it. The official report on Hellion Murdoch said that he was suffering from a very slight persecution complex, and that he was capable of making something of it if he got the chance. He's slightly whacky, and dangerously so." "He's a brilliant man, isn't he?" "Quite. His name is well known in the circles of neuro-surgery. He is also known to be an excellent research worker in applied physics." "Nuts, hey?" asked Walt.