This was real. The lives of his men depended on his being
right, and he was afraid of making a wrong decision.
Sergeant Major Koa, an experienced Planeteer with true understanding,
came and stood beside him. He said, "Guess I'll never get over being
jittery while waiting for the fight to start. I'm sweating so hard my
dehumidifier is humming like a Callistan honey lizard. But it doesn't
last long once the shooting begins. I get so busy I forget to be
jittery."
Before Rip could reply, the snapper-boats flashed over the cave, circled
the asteroid once, and landed on the dark side, close to the bomb
craters.
The first scout reported. "Santos, sir. I'm fifty yards beyond the stakes
where we had the first base. The snapper-boats landed between the first
two craters. Men coming out of one boat. I count six. Now they're coming
out of the other boat, but I can't see very well."
The other scout picked up the report, his voice thick with excitement. "I
can see them, sir! By Cosmos! There are seven in this boat on my side. I
am behind a rock forty yards to sunward of the second crater."
Rip turned up the volume of his communicator. "How are they armed?
Santos, report."
"One has a chatter gun.
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