"Gone. Your damned shelling exploded them."
Y nodded. "Just as I thought. If Murdock drained the Nova's tanks, he must be expecting help. It will have considerable bearing on any course we plan to take, just who these aids are, how many they'll be, and when to expect them."
He returned to Gavin. "You'll spare yourself a painful experience, Murdock, if you talk now. You can't gain anything by forcing us to wring the information from you. We won't hesitate to stoop to torture."
"No," Gavin agreed. "I suppose not." He hesitated. United Spaceways and Tri-World were the two corporations most likely to want the Nova's space drive. Nadia suspected that he was an agent of United Spaceways. Therefore ... he moistened his lips. "My work's done, anyway. I'm a Tri-World agent."
"But that's impossible!" Nadia burst out in sudden protest. "We...." She paused, looking confused as she realized she'd been tricked.
Y said, "That was very clever, Murdock. Yes. I'm working for Tri-World. Miss Petrovna and my good friend, the factor, have supplied us with valuable information and help for a price. But the knowledge won't be of any earthly use to you."
Gavin felt no triumph at the confirmation of his suspicions. What Y said was true. As soon as they had squeezed him dry, he would be silenced.
The door opened. A Terran appeared. "The slaves have all been unloaded and dispersed, sir. The bodies of the crew are buried. We're ship-shape and ready to take off."
Y put a forefinger to the chin of his death mask, rubbed the plastic gently. "Establish radio contact with the Comet."
"Yes sir," replied the man. "The message, sir?"