Time passed slowly and ponderously, and the Orionad caught up and passed the Loki without seeing or detecting the publisher's ship. Of this, Maynard was certain, since the celestial globe would have flared briefly had any action been taken against the Loki.
Then as the Orionad passed the Asterite, Maynard said: "Chalk us up a win, Kane. Your crate is safe."
"You're certain?"
"I am. Loki is now beyond range of our detector, which was souped up and is running at overload range. Orionad's detectors would be running at cruising range, which I happen to know is one quarter meg—two hundred and fifty thousand miles, to you."
"I see. Loki is on the far side of us from the Orionad, and their distance is such that their cruising range on the detector is less than the distance to Loki?"
"Right. And give us another ten minutes, and Orionad will go beyond detection range from us. Cruising range, that is."
"Mark yourself up a credit for this one, too," smiled Kane. "If you were an enemy, you could surely score one on the super ship itself."
"Sure could," agreed Guy enthusiastically.
Stan Norman said: "Technician to Executive: May I enter this encounter in the log?"
"Go ahead," said Guy. "They'll never believe us, though."