But firing on a spaceship was considered
an act of war, and the first such act could mean the beginning of a war
throughout the entire solar system.
It made a sort of sense to Rip when he thought about it. Little fights
here and there were better than a full war among the planets.
Koa suddenly gripped his arm. "Sir! Look up!"
The short hairs on the back of Rip's neck prickled. Far above, blackness
in the shape of a spaceship blotted out stars. The Connie had arrived!
Rip ordered urgently, "Kemp! Stop cutting! The rest of you get the stuff
under cover. Ram it!" He hurried to lend a hand himself, hustling crates
into the cave.
Kemp had made astonishing 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.
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