"Ay—and the gas didn't stop them," the engineer added. "They plugged the lines."
Suddenly Jenkins' voice cut shrilly above the background din on the speaker. "Can you hear me, Lodar?"
"I hear you." Lodar's eyes were slitted with pain.
"Okay." There was a fumbling sound. "We're going on to Mars. Take it or leave it. You set the course and we'll get your damned engines going."
"You can rot!"
"Better think it over, Captain. If you monkey around too long, the boys will get impatient. We'll wreck the engines!"
"You wreck those engines and none of you will see Mars or any other place," Lodar said heavily. "There's only one escape boat and the only way to it is through this control room. I'll leave you stranded!"
Jenkins' laughter rattled the speaker. "We'll shoot you down with the broadsides if you try!" There was a rustling, then, "Hang on, Lodar, a friend of yours wants to talk!"
VI