United States or Australia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Most days we fight each other, but today we fight together, eh? I am glad to meet you!" "And I'm glad to meet you, sir," Rip returned. He liked the twinkle in the Frenchman's eye. He would have given a lot to know what scheme Galliene and MacFife had cooked up. The Connie had overheard Galliene's greeting. He glared at Rip. The Frenchman saw the look and smiled happily.
They had only wanted an excuse to tie up to it so they could do what had just been done. They had sheared off the enemy's steering tubes, first at the stern, then at the bow, leaving him helpless, able to go only forward or back in the direction in which he happened to be pointing! MacFife had a broad grin on his face. As Rip started to speak, he held up his hand and pointed at a wall speaker.
"I object!" the Connie bellowed. "Come, now," MacFife burred soothingly. "Checking a few instruments won't hurt ye." A small rocket exhaust appeared, leaving the Aquila. The exhaust grew rapidly, more rapidly than that of any snapper-boat. Rip watched it, while keeping his ears tuned to the space conversation. "Surely sending boats is too much of a nuisance," the French commander said winningly.
Now get out of my ship." Galliene bowed. "You have been a most courteous and gracious host," he said. "Your conversation has been stimulating, inspiring, and informative. Our profound thanks." He shook hands with Rip and MacFife, bowed to the Connie commander again, and went out the way he had come. There wasn't anything to say after the Frenchman's sarcastic farewell speech.
He followed the Scottish commander through the maze of passages that crossed the ship and stopped at a valve where spacemen were waiting. With them was an officer who carried a big case. "The instruments," MacFife said, pointing. "We’ve tinkered with them a bit just to make it look real." "But why do you want to board the Connie?" Rip asked curiously. MacFife’s eye closed in a wink. "Ye’ll see."
Lad, I've a son in the Planeteers, and he's just about your own age. He's on Ganymede. He and the others will be proud of what ye've done." MacFife was pulling himself along rapidly by the convenient handholds. Rip followed, his breathing a little rapid in the heavier air of the ship. He followed the Scottish commander through the maze of passages that crossed the ship.
We will do this jointly, the Aquila and the Sagittarius. We will take turns towing you, my friend. We will haul you to Terra like any other piece of space junk." MacFife could remain quiet no longer. "Yes, mister. And that's no' the end o' it. We will collect the salvage fee. One half the value of the salvaged vessel. Aye! My men will like that, since we share and share alike on salvage.
And we need a new landing boat. The sun baked the equipment out of ours." MacFife nodded. "So be it. I'll send men to the asteroid to bring back the prisoners and your Planeteers." He smiled. "We'll let yon rock go by itself while hot showers and a good meal are had by all. Ye've earned it, lad."
They stopped at a valve where spacemen were waiting. With them was an officer who carried a big case. "The instruments," MacFife said, pointing. "We've tinkered with them a bit, just to make it look real." "But why do you want to board the Connie?" MacFife's eye closed in a wink. "Ye'll see." There was a slight bump as the cruiser touched the Connie.
Train launchers on the valves so our men will be annihilated before they can board, if you see a single weapon." This was going a little far, Rip thought, but it was not his affair and he didn’t know exactly what MacFife and Galliene had in mind. The Aquila’s boat arrived with astonishing speed. Rip saw it flash in the sunlight and knew he had never seen one like it before.
Word Of The Day