Part 29 (1/2)

”Foster, this is MacFife, commander on the _Aquila_. Y'can't see me on account of I'm on yer sunny side. But, lad, I'm closer to ye than the Connie. We did it this way to keep the asteroid between us and him. Also, lad, if ye'll take a look up at Gemini, ye'll see somethin' ye'll like.

Look at Alhena, in the Twins' feet. Then, lad, if ye'll be patient the while, ye'll have a grandstand seat for a real big show.”

Rip tilted his bubble back and stared upward at the constellation of the Twins. He said softly, ”By Gemini!” For there, a half degree south of the star Alhena, was the clean line of a nuclear cruiser's exhaust. The _Sagittarius_, out of Mercury, had arrived.

He cut the communicator off for a moment and spoke exultantly to his men.

”Stand easy, you hairy Planeteers. Forget the Connie. He doesn't know it, but he's caught. He's caught between the Archer and the Eagle!”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Courtesy--With Claws

Sagittarius, constellation of the Archer, and Aquila, constellation of the Eagle, had given the two Federation patrol cruisers their names. 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. He turned the band switch to the universal frequency with which all long-range communicators were equipped. Each of the Earth groups had its own frequency, and so did the Martians and Jovians. But all could meet and talk on the universal band.

Special scrambling devices prevented eavesdropping on regular frequencies, so there was no danger that the Connie had overheard the plan. Rip wondered what it was. He knew the cruisers had to be careful not to cross the thin line that might lead to war.

The _Sagittarius_ loomed closer, decelerating with a tremendous exhaust.

The Connie couldn't have failed to see it, Rip knew. He was right. The Consops cruiser suddenly blasted more heavily, rus.h.i.+ng in the direction away from the Federation s.h.i.+p. The direction was toward the asteroid.

At the same moment, the _Aquila_ flashed above the horizon, also decelerating. The Connie was caught squarely.

A suave voice spoke on the universal band. ”This is Federation SCN _Sagittarius_, calling the Consolidation cruiser near the asteroid.

Please reply.”

Rip waited anxiously. The Connie would hear, because every control room monitored the universal band.

A heavy, reluctant voice replied after a pause of over a minute.

”This is Consolidation cruiser Sixteen. You are breaking the law, _Sagittarius_. Your missile ports are open, and they are pointing at me.

Close them at once, or I will report this.”

The suave voice, with its hint of French accent, replied, ”Ah, my friend!

Do not be alarmed. We have had a slight accident to our control circuit, and the ports are jammed open. We are trying to repair the situation. But I a.s.sure you that we have only the friendliest of intentions.”

Rip grinned. This was about the same as a man holding a c.o.c.ked pistol at another man's head and a.s.suring him that it was nothing but a nervous arm that kept the gun so steady.

The Connie demanded, ”What do you want?”

The two friendly cruisers were within a few miles of the Connie now, and their blasts were just strong enough to keep them edging closer, while still counteracting the sun's pull.

The French s.p.a.ceman spoke rea.s.suringly. ”My friend, we want only the courtesy of s.p.a.ce to which the law ent.i.tles us. We have had an unfortunate accident to our astrogation instruments, and we wish to come aboard to compare them with yours.”

Rip laughed outright. Every cruiser carried at least four sets of instruments. There was as much chance of all of them being knocked off scale at once as there was of his biting a cruiser in half with bare teeth.