"Stow it, Flick," suggested Gary. "There's no use crying over spilt milk. Borisu's skipped. So we'll have to abandon that plan of approach. We must figure the next best thing."
"Skipper? Captain Warren?" Again the intercommunicating system was alive.
"It's Sparks," said Warren, "calling from the radio turret. Yes, Sparks? What is it?"
"A telaudio message coming in. Someone calling us by name."
"Borisu," snarled O'Day.
"Pipe it down here, Sparks," ordered the commander of the vessel. "Throw it over the IC so we can all hear it."
"Very good, sir!" There was a moment's hush, then an instant of metallic confusion. Then the incoming message was retransmitted from the radio room to the control turret. A voice was calling, "Spaceship Liberty! Signalling the Liberty! Can you hear us?"
Warren glanced at his friends significantly. "It is Borisu," he whispered. "I'd know that soapy, accented voice in a million." He pressed the activating control of the turret transmitter and answered, "Spaceship Liberty answering. Hugh Warren, commanding officer, speaking. Who are you? What do you want?"
Transmission cleared as the beam between the converging spacecraft strengthened. It was definitely Borisu's voice addressing them. All recognized and tensed with anger to hear the vindictive mockery in his tone.
"What, Captain? But certainly you're clever enough to know without being told. We not only want but demand the immediate surrender of your ship!"