Part 2

"You're crazy," broke in the Second. "Try it with a remote-controlled gig. It'll only take a few hours to rig it. There's no sense in your going."

Webster ignored him.

"May I try it, sir?"

The Admiral was silent, looking at the towering figure of Webster. He spoke softly, half to himself:

"It's a helluva world when a man can't risk his own neck trying out some fool idea." Then louder. "No. I can't let you. Tell us about it first so I can see if it's any good."

Webster shook his head.

"I'll tell you about it over the radio, sir. Then you can follow me in the _Sirius_. That is--if I'm right. If I'm not, it won't matter."

"In that case, forget it," said the Admiral. "I'm not going to have you torn to shreds."

Webster started to protest, but the Admiral cut him off.

"No. That's final."

Webster strode out mad enough to spit. He pulled up in front of a bulkhead, raised a mighty fist--and stopped. He didn't even give a second thought to the idea that crashed into his mind. He lit out down the passageway.

Ten minutes later the second gig took off, with Third Webster at the controls.

In the first few seconds Webster had a horrible thought. Suppose the Uranians now had enough data. Suppose their experiments were over and he just flew in, and they didn't even try to knock him down.

He switched on the visi-scope and radio. No. The Uranian ship was turning around and coming to meet him. Good. He reached for the throttle and cut off his rockets. The Admiral's voice came over the radio:

"Webster, you'll get thrown out for this. Come back here. And for God's sake don't slow down like that. You're a sitting duck for them."

Webster cut in his forward rockets to slow himself even more. He turned on the magnetic shield and then spoke to Admiral Cantwell.

"That's the idea, Admiral. All the ships that have been knocked down have been travelling at full speed. And that's what's done it."

He kept his eye on the Uranian ship. It was almost within range. He went on.

"We knew the Uranians were trying to increase the velocity of the Kant pellets. Well, I figure they've done it."

"But they still can't get them through the magnetic shield," said the Admiral, his tone growing less stern.

It was almost time. Webster's speed was down to five thousand miles an hour.

"They don't have to get them through the shield," answered Webster. "I figure the pellets now move at close to the speed of light. So when one of them passes close by our ships going the opposite direction under full power it sets up--"

The gig gave a slight lurch. That was all, just a slight lurch.

"See?" shouted Webster. "They can't knock me down when I'm going slow. The relative velocity isn't great enough."

The Admiral's voice took on a new note.

"I think I see what you're driving at. Mass goes up with velocity."

"Right."

The gig gave another small lurch. Webster laughed and went on.

"The relative velocity between the ship and the pellet is probably only a few octillionths short of the velocity of light. So somewhere in the pellet-ship system a huge mass momentarily appears. It's enough to tear the ship apart. And our own high velocity has been what made it possible. They don't even try to hit us; they just try to come within some minimum distance."

Silence from the _Sirius_. Then.

"Well done, Webster. Well done. Go on in. We'll follow. You've got about a twenty-minute start on us so we'll meet you in Central City." He stopped, then went on: "I owe you something for that runabout incident I guess, so I'll overlook this disobedience. Besides, if you're ever going to get beyond Third somebody is going to have to overlook something. This'll do it. Good luck, man."

Just before Webster clicked off the radio he overheard the Admiral say to the Second:

"The Uranians have one thing to be thankful for. They don't have any teeth."

Webster grinned and happily pulled on his space suit. The jinx was broken. Second Officer Webster coming up. There was nothing but Uranians ahead of him. And just wait till he got his hands on _them_.