"
Rip blinked as he stared out into space to where Koa was pointing. He had
trouble focusing his eyes at first, and then he saw the glow of the
cruiser.
"Good," he said. "They'll send a landing boat first thing."
"I hope so," Koa replied.
Rip wanted to ask why the big Planeteer was dubious, but he was too tired
to phrase the question. He contented himself with watching the cruiser.
In a short time the _Scorpius_ was balanced, with nose tubes
counteracting the thrust of stern tubes, ready to flash into space again
at a second's notice.
Rip watched, puzzled. The cruiser was miles away. Why didn't it come any
closer? Then suddenly it erupted a dozen fiery streaks.
"Snapper-boats!" someone gasped.
Rip jerked fully awake. In the ruddy glow of the fighting rockets' tubes,
he had seen that the cruiser's missile ports were yawning wide, ready to
spew forth their deadly nuclear charges in an instant.
The snapper-boats flashed toward the asteroid in a group, sheered off,
and broke formation. They came back in pairs, streaking space with the
sparks of their exhausts.
"Into the cave," Koa shouted.
The Planeteers obeyed instantly. Koa took Rip's arm to lead him inside,
but the young officer shook him off.
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