twelve minutes past nine EDT
`` Nice ! Catch him _ in flagrante delicto _ . Lovely -- shovel on the coal , my intrepid engineer ! '' On a Wednesday morning , then , at twelve minutes past nine EDT , the _ Pleiades _ hung poised , high over the Chancellery of Solar System Enterprises , Incorporated . `` Remember , Belle ! '' Garlock was pacing the Main . `` To keep 'em staggering we 'll have to land slugging and beat 'em to every punch .