s to surrender. If they don't, I'll blast
them into protons!"

"Very well, sir," said Tom. He turned to the teleceiver and began
twirling the dials.

"Attention! Attention! Rocket cruiser _Polaris_ to spaceship X.
_Polaris_ to spaceship X. You are ordered to surrender within two
minutes or we will attack. By order of Major Connel, Senior Line
Officer, Solar Guard."

He switched the teleceiver for reception and waited. In a moment the
screen blurred and then an image appeared. Tom gasped. It was Roger!

"Tom, Tom," yelled Roger. "Tom, this is me--Roger!"

"Roger! What're you doing out here? How'd you get here?"

"I can't explain now," said Roger. "I--I--"

Tom interrupted him. "Roger, you've been cleared! The investigation of
the crash on the station proved that Loring and Mason are guilty.
They're wanted for the crash and the deaths of Jardine and Bangs!"

"What! You mean--" stammered Roger.

"Yes. Loring and Mason did the whole thing!" supplied Tom.

"Look, Tom," pleaded Roger, "give me ten minutes. Don't fire for ten
minutes! I'm going to try an idea. If I'm not successful, then open up
and blast us back to Mars!"

"Roger, wait!" shouted Tom. "What's going on? What're you doing on that
ship?"

"I can't talk now," answered Roger. "Loring and Mason are on the ship
with me. Remember--ten minutes--and if I don't contact you, then open
fire!"

CHAPTER 13

Roger flipped off the teleceiver. He stared at the darkened screen and
began estimating the chances of success for a plan he had in mind.
Deciding that, regardless of what happened, he had to take over the
ship, he got up and turned toward the hatch and the gun locker. He
stopped cold. Loring stood framed in the doorway, a paralo-ray gun in
each hand.

"Just stand right where you are, spaceboy!" snapped Loring. "You want
ten minutes, huh? Ten minutes for what? I thought there was something
funny going on when we missed the _Polaris_ with that bomb!"

"You knew all along I didn't have anything to do with that crash back on
the station, didn't you?" shouted Roger. His eyes blazed angrily.

"Yeah. So what?" growled Loring. "Hey, Mason," he yelled over his
shoulder, "get up here in a hurry! We gotta work fast!"

"What are you going to do?" asked Roger.

"You're still valuable to us, Manning," said Loring with a crooked grin.
"You're going to ensure our getting what we came after!"

Mason stepped through the door. "Yeah, Loring?"

Loring qui