"What happened here? Who was in the Gargol when it took off?” Thorn cried fiercely.
"Cheerly — and that there radite!” groaned the old pirate. “He fooled us, neat. He and his man came up here a half-hour ago, dragging the radite on their sledge. They were wearing suits like yours, ray-proofed and with even the helmets coated, so we couldn't see their faces plain enough. And Cheerly imitated your voice so that I thought he was you, John Thorn!
"He said that he and Sual Av had brought the radite back, and that Gunner was following with Lana. We never suspected him, he imitated your voice so well, and we couldn't even recognize his fat figure in that shapeless suit. He took the radite into the Gargol, saying we'd use the Saturnian ship to return to Earth in. He even went into the Venture for a few minutes, I suppose to see if you'd any papers or secrets worth stealing."
He fell silent.
"Go on, man!” Thorn cried. “How did he get away with the Gar gol, when you had its crew under guard?"
"He did it easy,” groaned the old man. “He and his man, posing as you and Sual Av, went into the Gargol. We didn't follow, never suspecting. And Cheerly and his man blasted down our guards in there, set free his Saturnian crew, and took off, with a blast of their guns that killed six of our men!"
"And now he's on his way back to Saturn with the radite!” Gunner cried. “We've got to catch him!"
"We'll catch him. The Venture can overhaul him!” Thorn cried. “Into the ship, all of you! We're blasting off!"
They tumbled into the Venture, leaving the two radioactive men standing staring. Inside the craft, its doors closed, the Planeteers and Lana and Stilicho climbed to the control-room. The old pirate yelled urgently into the interphone.
"Power chambers on!” he ordered.