Part 13 (1/2)

Kemp had made astonis.h.i.+ng progress. There was room for the crates, if stacked properly, and for the men, besides. Rip supervised the stacking and then the placement of the rocket launcher at the entrance.

”All hands inside the boat,” he ordered. ”Dowst, be ready to take off at a moment's notice. You'll have to buck this box around as never before.”

He explained to the pilot his plan to dodge, keeping the asteroid between the boat and the cruiser.

”We'll make it, sir,” Dowst said.

”I'm not worried,” Rip replied--and wished it were true. He looked up at the Connie again. It was getting larger. The cruiser was within a few miles of the asteroid.

As Rip watched, fire spurted from the cruiser, and it moved with gathering speed toward the asteroid's horizon. He watched the exhaust trail, wondering why the Connie had blasted off.

”He has something up his sleeve,” Koa muttered. ”Wish we knew what.”

”Let's take no chances,” Rip stated. ”Come on.”

The men were already in the boat. He and Koa joined them. They stood at a window, watching the Connie's trail.

The trail dwindled. Koa said, ”Something's up!” Suddenly new fire shot from one side of the cruiser, and it spun. Balancing fire came from the other side, and for an instant the three exhausts formed a cross, with the darkness of the Connie's hull in the center. Then they could see only the exhausts from the sides. The stern flame was out of sight. ”He's made a full turn to come back this way,” Rip stated tensely. ”Dowst, get ready.”

The Connie was perhaps twenty miles away. It grew larger, and the side jets winked out. A few seconds later, fire spurted from the nose.

Rip figured rapidly. The cruiser had gone far enough away to make a turn.

It had straightened out, heading right for them. Now the nose tube was blasting, slowing the cruiser down.

He sighted, holding out one glove, and gauging the Connie's distance above the horizon, and his heart speeded. The Connie was right on the horizon!

”Ram it!” Rip called. ”Around the asteroid. Quick!”

Acceleration jammed him back against his men as Dowst blasted. No sooner had he recovered than acceleration in a different direction shoved him up to the ceiling so hard that his bubble rang. He clawed his way to the window as the Connie cruiser flashed by, bathing the asteroid in glowing flame.

There was a chorus of gasps from the men as they saw the thing Rip had realized a moment before. The Consops cruiser was playing it safe, using its rocket exhaust as a great blowtorch to burn the surface of the asteroid clean of any possible life!

The sheer inhumanity of the thing made Rip's stomach tighten into a knot.

No asking for surrender, no taking of prisoners, not even a clean fight.

The Connie was doing its arguing with fire, knowing that the exhaust would char every man on the asteroid's surface.

The Planeteers watched as the Connie sped away, blasted with side jets, and turned to come back. Dowst tensed over the controls, trying to antic.i.p.ate the next move. He delicately touched the firing levers, letting out just enough flame to maneuver. He slid the craft across the asteroid's surface to the side away from the Connie, going slowly enough that they could watch the enemy's every move.

”Here he comes,” Rip snapped, and braced for acceleration. The landing craft shot to safety as the cruiser's nose jet flamed. Dowst was just in time. Tiny sparks from the edge of the fiery column brushed past the boat.

Rip realized that the Connie couldn't know the Federation men were in a boat, dodging. The cruiser would make about two more runs, just enough to allow for hitting every bit of the asteroid. Then it would a.s.sume that anything on it was finished and send a landing party.

”He'll be back,” he stated. ”About twice more. Three at most.” He suddenly remembered the landing boat's radio. ”Dowst, where is the radio connection?”

The pilot handed him a wire with a jack plug on the end of it. Rip plugged it into his belt. Now his voice would be heard on the _Scorpius_.

”Calling _Scorpius_! Calling _Scorpius_! Foster reporting. We are under attack. Repeat, we are under attack. Over to you.”

The answer rang in his helmet. ”_Scorpius_ to Foster. Hold 'em, Planeteers. We're on our way!”