"Just tell us, bright-eyes. We'll decide," snapped Logy.
"W-w-well, you send out a signal with it and then stop it and switch it to the detecting circuit. You listen, and the signal goes out and starts the other one going like tapping a bell. It resonates for some time after the initial impulse. It returns the signal, and by using the directional qualities, you can follow the shock-excited second resonator right down to it. Follow?"
"Yeah. That we all know," drawled Jake in a bored voice. His tone took on that razor edge again and he snarled: "What we're after is the how, get me? How?"
"Oh, w-w-w-well, the trick is—"
"Creeps!" exploded Logy. He crossed the cabin in almost nothing flat and jerked upward on the power lever.
The little ship surged upward at six gravities, making speech impossible. Blair wondered about this, sitting there helpless and scared green, until a blast of heat came from behind, and the ship lost drive. A tractor beam flashed upward, catching the ship and hurling it backwards. The reaction threw all three up against the ceiling with considerable force, and the reverse acceleration generated by the tractor's pull kept them pasted to the ceiling. Another ship was beside them in a matter of seconds, and four spacesuited men breached the air lock and entered, throwing their helmets back.
"Jake Jackson and Freddy Logan," laughed the foremost of the newcomers. "How nerce of you to meet us here."
"Grab the blinker," said the one behind.
"Naturally. Naturally. Pete and Wally take Blair. Jim and I'll muscle the gripper."