Another flashed past,
fortunately over their heads. The sun's heat was causing them to fire
unevenly.
"Three more to go," Koa called. "Watch out!"
Only two went, and they were far enough away to offer no danger.
Santos had been fishing around in the instrument case. Suddenly he
produced another stylus. "It was under the sextant," he explained
triumphantly.
"If we get through this, I'll propose you for ten more stripes," Rip
vowed. "We'll make you the highest ranking sergeant that ever made a
private's life miserable."
Working slowly but more safely, Rip figured that slightly more than two
and a half tubes would do the trick.
Now to fire them. That meant finding a thorium crystal properly placed
and big enough. There were plenty of crystals, so that was no problem.
The next step was for Kemp to cut holes with his torch, so that the
thrust of the rocket fuel would be counter to the direction in which the
asteroid was spinning.
Rip explained to all hands what had to be done. The burden would fall on
Kemp, who would need a helper. Rip took that job himself. He took one
oxygen tank from Kemp. Koa took the other, leaving the torchman with only
his torch.
Then Rip took a container of chemical fuel from Bradshaw.
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