Sual Av uttered an exultant cry as they burst out of mists into open space, with the colossal, gleaming arc of the rings spanning the star thick black firmament ahead.
"Clear space again!” he cried.
"They'll call an alarm to all their bases on the outer moons!” Thorn exclaimed. “If Stilicho isn't waiting at the rendezvous—"
Everything depended now, all three knew, on reaching the rendezvous in the rings where old Stilicho Keene had agreed to wait with the Venture, in Cassini's division at the west limb of the planet-shadow.
The colossal yellow bulk of Saturn was behind them, the mighty bow of the rings now close ahead. Thorn was heading toward the segment of the rings obscured by the shadow of the planet. Their little ship raced above the innermost, thinnest ring, roaring at top speed low over the vast circular swarm of whirling planetoids.
Soon ahead yawned Cassini's division, the gap of clear space between the two great outermost rings. As Thorn sent their craft flying down into the gap at the point where the west limb of the planet-shadow lay across it, he flipped the audio-switch.
"Stilicho, the Planeteers calling!” he spoke into the instrument. “We're being chased. Where are you?"
In a moment, there came a shrill, excited reply.
"Coming, boy! We've got you in our aura. Stand by and get your suits on, and we'll take you aboard!"
A few moments later the long, grim-lined Venture drove up from the gap between rings, and hovered beside the Planeteers’ little ship. The air-lock of the pirate craft was open.