Welnicki's long, thin nose twitched in dismay. "What ... where is Fishdollar Five?" he gasped. _Are they human?_ his thoughts ran. "Our present seat of government is in S.S. _Rubberjack's_ tender," the neutral voice replied. "We have seceded from the main body of settlers. We wish to arrange for settlement on a different planet." "Oh! Oh. Mutinous settlers?" Welnicki's eyes narrowed. He smiled grimly. He glanced down at his blue and gold tunic and punched on the photo-recorder. Best have a record for the historians. "Fishdollar, this is mutiny in subspace. In the name of the Galactic Patrol, I command you to surrender yourself and your accomplices to Captain Glover at once!" "I am chief of state of a sovereign nation and I will not be spoken to like that," the voder said. "If necessary, we will cast loose the tender and enter space to find our own planet. We are holding the tender crew at their stations, even as I speak." "I forbid it absolutely!" the ensign barked. "If you inspace at random, you will likely be far beyond the sphere of permitted exploration. You may betray humanity to an unknown enemy. Moreover, you will all be pirates and slavers. President Fishdollar, consider what you do!" "National survival is at stake. My first loyalty is to my nation." Ensign Welnicki arched his neck. "I warn you, President Fishdollar," he said vibrantly, "if you take those _Rubberjack_ crewmen into space, I will follow and free them if I must pursue you to the uttermost ends of the galaxy!" "We will defend our sovereignty to our last drop of blood," the voder replied pleasantly. "We had hoped for Patrol cooperation, but we are prepared to carry on in the teeth of Patrol hostility. Our determination, Captain Kravitz, is unshakable. Goodbye, sir!" The light blinked off. That parting speech must have been sonorous and magnificent in old Fishdollar's natural voice, the ensign thought. Then an echo of it nagged at him and he jumped. "Oh my," he said, and punched the captain's emergency signal. * * * * * Captain Kravitz played back the photo-record and cocked a grizzled eyebrow at Welnicki. He sounded the general alarm and snapped orders: ready Scout Vessel Two and boarding party. Sleepy men manned battle stations. Captain Glover came on the voder to report his tender gone and trouble with lost-mass aberration. He was almost inaudible at full gain. "Prepare to regress," Captain Kravitz ordered. "Proceed to destination and wait in orbit for me," he shouted into the voder. "I will regress and send a party after your tender. Give me the break coordinates." Whispered data passed until Kravitz said abruptly, "That's enough, captain. I want a short regress. Good luck."