Roger smiled, knowing Mason still harbored a grudge for the beating he had taken earlier on the trip.
"When you have him locked up, get back on the control deck," said Loring. "We're going to do some old-fashioned bargaining with 'Blast-off' Connel!"
"Bargaining?" exclaimed Roger.
"Yeah! One slightly used Space Cadet for what we came after—the copper satellite!"
"Connel won't bargain," said Roger. "Not for me, not for anything. You don't know him!"
"I know this, Manning!" said Loring. "I'm going to get on the teleceiver and tell Connel that if he doesn't blast away from here right now, you're a dead Space Cadet!" He jerked his head toward the door. "All right, take him below and tell Shinny to stand by on the power deck. In case Connel won't bargain, we'll have to make a run for it!"
"Right," said Mason as he shoved the paralo-ray gun deeper into Roger's stomach. "Move, Manning!"
Roger climbed down the ladder and through the long passageway of the Space Devil. He passed Shinny on the way down.
"What's going on here?" demanded Shinny, seeing Mason with the paralo-ray gun.
"We missed with the bomb," said Mason, "and Connel raised ship. He's ready to blast us if we don't surrender right away. Loring's trying to make a deal with him."