There wasn't anything to say after the
Frenchman's sarcastic farewell speech. MacFife, Rip, and the officer with
the instruments went back through the valves into their own ship.
Once inside, MacFife called, "Come with me. Hurry." He led the way
through passages and up ladders, to the very top of the ship, to the
hatch where the astrogators took their star sights. The protective shield
of nuclite had been rolled back, and they could see into space through
the clear-vision port.
Rip and MacFife hurried to the side where they were connected to the
Connie. Rip looked down along the length of the ship. The valve
connection was in the middle of each ship, at the point of greatest
diameter. From that point each ship grew more slender.
MacFife pointed to the Connie's nose. Projecting from it like great horns
were the ship's steering tubes. Unlike the Federation cruiser, which
blasted steam through internal tubes that did not project, the Connie
used chemical fuel.
"Watch," MacFife said.
There were similar tubes on the Connie's stern, Rip knew. He wondered
what they had to do with the plan.
MacFife walked to a wall communicator. "Follow instructions."
He turned to Rip. "Remember, lad, the _Sagittarius_ is on the other side
of the Connie, about to do the same thing.
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