re the same
as ours."

Captain Bradley had stood by in silent astonishment during this
conversation. His eyes had bulged slightly at Costigan's "we're both
wearing 'em," but he had held his peace and as the girl disappeared a
look of dawning comprehension came over his face.

"Oh, I see, sir," he said, respectfully--far more respectfully than he
had ever before addressed a mere first officer. "Meaning that we both
_will be_ wearing them shortly, I assume. 'Service Specials'--but you
didn't specify exactly _what_ Service, did you?"

"Now that you mention it, I don't believe that I did," Costigan grinned.

"That explains several things about you--particularly your recognition
of Vee-Two and your uncanny control and speed of reaction. But aren't
you...."

"No," Costigan interrupted, positively. "This situation is apt to get
altogether too serious to overlook any bets. If we get away, I'll take
them away from her and she'll never know that they aren't routine
equipment in the Triplanetary Service. As for you, I know that you can
and do keep your mouth shut. That's why I'm hanging this junk on you--I
had a lot of stuff in my kit, but I flashed it all with the Standish,
except what I brought in here for us three. Whether you think so or not,
we're in a real jam--our chance of getting away is mightly close to
zero. Now that I've gone this far, I might as well tell you that I don't
believe these birds are pirates at all, in the ordinary sense of the
word. And it may be possible that they're after me, but I don't think
so--we've covered up too...."

He broke off as the girl came back, now to all appearances a small
Triplanetary officer, and the three settled down to a long and eventless
wait. Hour after hour they flew through the ether, but finally there was
a lurching swing and an abrupt increase in their acceleration. After a
short consultation Captain Bradley turned on the visiray set and, with
the beam at its minimum power, peered cautiously downward, in the
direction opposite to that in which he knew the pirate vessel must be.
All three stared into the plate, seeing only an infinity of emptiness,
marked only by the infinitely remote and coldly brilliant stars. While
they stared into space a vast area of the heavens was blotted out and
they saw, faintly illuminated by a peculiar blue luminescence, a vast
ball--a sphere so large and so close that they seemed to be dropping
downward toward it as though it were a world!