Joris said flatly, "It isn't going to work." Edri said nothing. He waited. Joris went on, as though he hated what he was saying, but had to say it. "Look at it. As soon as I start deceleration the cruiser will begin to cut our lead to nothing. And they're stressed for less deceleration time than I can make without tearing the _Mirzim_ to pieces. What'll happen? They'll be down on us before we can even begin our search." Edri nodded. He leaned back against the bulkhead and closed his eyes. He said, "They know now what we're after. What do you suppose Kerrel would do if he found the ship of Orthis?" Nobody answered that. There was no need to answer. A heavy silence followed, during which Trehearne thought of the messages that had gone out across the Galaxy from the cruiser's ultra-wave--guarded messages that betrayed by their very spareness the desperate nature of this mission, urgent requests for other Council cruisers to close up with all speed. But those others were still too far away to matter. Whatever happened would have happened before they could come up. Kerrel was going to finish this alone. Edri said, "What are we going to do?" Joris rubbed his big hand over his stubbled face and blinked and said, "Our only chance, if Orthis' ship and secret are really there, is to get the ultra-wave equipment to it in time for what we planned." He went on slowly, "I think our life-skiff could carry that equipment. If we drop the skiff it could travel on constant velocity for a while before it would have to decelerate. Meanwhile I could swing the _Mirzim_ on another course, running back along the rim of the Galaxy, away from the dark star. The cruiser would follow me. Chances are, with their radar concentrated on me to catch my lateral-impulse pattern, they wouldn't notice the skiff at all when she started deceleration." He sighed. "They'd catch us, of course. But the _Mirzim_ isn't going to keep on forever after the beating she's taken. The generators are in bad shape. But we could keep going long enough to give you time." Edri thought it over. "I don't like it," he said. "But it looks as though it's that or nothing." Joris was muttering under his breath about maximum loads and capacity. "The main ultra-wave equipment," he said, "and three men. The skiff would keep that. We'd keep the auxiliary ultra-wave set here, of course." "Who can you spare? You'll need all your flight-technicians." "He can spare me," said Trehearne. "I'm the most non-essential. And I can still stand up if I have to." Joris nodded. "Yes. Quorn has to go to handle the ultra-wave, of course--and he can handle the skiff all right." "Who else?" "You," said Joris. Edri looked at the sleeping Arrin. "He ought to go instead of me. He's worked for it longer than I have." It was obvious that Arrin was unable to go anywhere, and Edri sighed. He pulled himself erect. "All right, then. Come on, Trehearne. We'll start loading."