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The Eagle was commanded by a tough Scotsman, and the Archer by a Frenchman. Commander MacFife spoke through the communicator. "Switch bands to universal, lad. Me'n Galliene are goin' to talk this Connie into a braw mess. MacFife off." Rip guessed that the two cruiser commanders had been in communication while enroute to the asteroid and had cooked up some kind of plan.
Check them quickly." He put his lips together in a straight line and stared at the Federation men. They stared back with equal coldness. Around them, Connie spacemen with wooden, expressionless faces waited without moving. The minutes ticked by. Rip wondered again what kind of plan MacFife and Galliene had. When would the excitement start?
The Eagle was commanded by a tough Scotsman, and the Archer by a Frenchman. Commander MacFife spoke through the communicator. "Switch bands to universal, lad. Me’n Galliene are goin’ to talk this Connie into a braw mess. MacFife off." Rip guessed that the two cruiser commanders had been in communication while enroute to the asteroid and had cooked up some kind of plan.
A terrible accident. Aye, the man who did it will hear from me." "It was no accident," the Connie screamed. "Ah," Galliene replied, "but you cannot prove otherwise. Commander, do you realize what this means? You are helpless. Interplanetary law says that a helpless space ship must be salvaged and taken in tow by the nearest cruiser, no matter what its nationality.
"Surely sending boats is too much of a nuisance," the French commander said winningly. "We will come alongside." "It’s a trick," the Connie growled. "You want me to open my valves, then your men will board us and try to take over my ship!" "My friend, you have a suspicious mind," Galliene replied smoothly. "If you wish, arm your men. Ours will have no weapons.
A terrible accident. Aye, the man who did it will hear from me." "It was no accident," the Connie screamed. "Ah," Galliene replied, "but you cannot prove otherwise. Commander, do you realize what this means? You are helpless. Interplanetary law says that a helpless spaceship must be salvaged and taken in tow by the nearest cruiser, no matter what its nationality.
Train launchers on the valves so our men will be annihilated before they can board, if you see a single weapon." This was going a little far, Rip thought, but it was not his affair and he didn’t know exactly what MacFife and Galliene had in mind. The Aquila’s boat arrived with astonishing speed. Rip saw it flash in the sunlight and knew he had never seen one like it before.
To assert, then, with some recent critics of Christianity, that that law of brotherly love which is its central teaching is impracticable of application to the needs of society, is simply to deny the very first law by which society exists." Richard Le Galliene, in "The Religion of a Literary Man."
Galliene hid a smile by stroking his moustache. The Connie commander growled, "And I suppose it was accident that you took my men prisoner?" "Prisoner?" Rip looked bewildered. "We took no prisoners. When your boats arrived, the men asked if they might not join us. They claimed refuge, which we had to give them under interplanetary law." "I will take them back," the Connie stated.
"You will not," Galliene replied with equal positiveness. "The law is very clear, my friend. Your men may return willingly, but you cannot force them. When we reach Terra we will give them a choice. Those who wish to return to the Consolidation will be given transportation to the nearest border." The Connie commander motioned to a heavily armed officer. "Take their instruments.
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