"The guy's tricky and dirty, but he does have a brain and he has some darned good technies in his crew. He'd know, from his own receptors, when we started speeding up so fast, and he'd do something to counteract that, if he could."
"I've heard things like that about him, but I don't know him."
"I do," grimly. "We've had brushes before, when I was in other ships. He's a skunk and ought to be behind bars—but so far no one has been able to produce any real evidence of what all spacemen know must be true."
"If the Board accepts our claim and data against his, won't that be proof against him?"
"It should be. You can bet your tackle I'll work on that angle. Space will be cleaner if that hellhound isn't in it."
"You bet, Pop. I hope you sink your hook in him this time."
His father laughed grimly. "It won't be for lack of trying, that's for danged sure."
15
Jon Carver spoke into the microphone of his ship radio. "Exploration ship Star Rover, Tad Carver owner, Jon Carver pilot, asking permission to land. We are circling at ten miles up."