A faint grin broke across Villanowski's homely face. "I saw that it behooved me to give Murdock a hand when and if he needed it."
Gavin said, "I think I can promise you amnesty, Villanowski. I couldn't have captured the Nova without your help."
"Oh, that's not all," Villanowski chuckled. "The Empire will want this space drive to power her ships. I'll be a valuable man. Even Y didn't intend to kill me until I had explained its mechanism to Tri-World's scientists."
"How long," asked Gavin abruptly, "have we been on Jupiter? I lost track after that shell knocked me out at the cantonment."
"This is the second day."
Gavin wrinkled his brow. "The patrol ships should be here in about four hours."
Outside the Nova, a gaping hole in space marked her position. The astounded crew of the Comet, who had landed prepared to refuel the captured Nova, eyed the eerie vacancy with mixed emotions. One of the crew flung a rock into the enveloping blackness. It disappeared. There was no sound of its falling to the ground.
The commander of the Comet, deprived of Y's guidance, fumed nervously. He glanced at his watch at intervals, saying at length, "If the Nova doesn't reappear by dark, we'll take off. We can lay up and re-establish contact by radio."
The men gathered about the maw of blackness staring into it with hypnotic fascination.