"
"Then keep out of the beams. Don't let them walk into you. Keep low, and
keep moving. Stay on the dark side."
"We'd better get to the dark side ourselves," Koa warned. He was right,
Rip knew. The Connies didn't have far to search before reaching the sun
side. "Koa, you take Trudeau and Kemp. I'll take Dowst and Dominico.
Nunez and Bradshaw stay here to guard the cave. If they arrive in twos,
let them get into the cave before you jump them. Bradshaw, how do you
feel?"
"I'm all right, Lieutenant."
Rip admired the Planeteer's nerve. He knew Bradshaw was in pain,
because bleeding into high vacuum was always painful. The crack in
the Englishman's helmet had let most of the air out, and his own blood
pressure had done the rest. He would carry the marks for days. A few more
moments, and all air and all heat would have been gone, with fatal
results. Fortunately, bubbles didn't shatter easily when cracked. To
destroy them took a good blow.
"All right. Let's travel. Koa, go right. I'll go the other way, and we'll
work around the asteroid until we meet."
Rip led the way, gliding as rapidly as he could toward the edge of
darkness. He called, "Santos. Anyone coming in the direction of the
cave?"
"Two pairs.
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