He gave
a final spring that sent him through space with knees bent and outthrust,
his hands reaching.
His knees connected solidly with the Connie's thighs, and his hands
groped around the bulky space suit. He felt a rheostat control and
twisted savagely, then groped for the distinctive star-shaped button
of the air supply.
The Connie wrenched violently and threw them both upward. Rip felt the
star shape and twisted. If he could only deflate the Connie's suit! But
the man was writhing from his grip, clawing for a weapon.
Then Rip stopped reaching for the deflation valve. He grabbed his knife,
jerked it free, and thrust it against the middle of the Connie's back.
Then he clanged his bubble against the man's helmet for direct
communication and shouted, "Grab some space, or I'll let vack into
you!"
The Connie understood English. Most earthlings did. But even better was
his understanding of the pressure on his back. He stopped struggling; his
arms shot starward.
Rip breathed freely for the first time since he had leaped, and
exultation grew in him. He had his first man! His first hand-to-hand
fight had ended in victory so easily that he could hardly believe it.
He took time to look around him and saw that he was a good five feet
above the asteroid.
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