JК
The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 75 из 164Right?»
«Right. You'd better pilot, Gully. I'll do the talking.»
He nodded, fixing explosive to the face of the safe, attaching caps and fuses. Then he placed his helmet against hers. «Vacuum fuses, Jiz. Timed for two minutes. When I give the word by short-wave, just pull off the fuse i heads and get the hell out of the way. Right?»
«Right.»
«Stay with the safe. Once you've talked it into the ship, come right after it. Don't wait for anything. It's going to be close.»
He thumped her shoulder and returned to the Weekender. He left the outer hatch open, and the inner door of the airlock as well. The ship's air emptied out immediately. Airless and stripped by Jisbella, it looked dismal and forlorn.
Foyle went directly to the controls, sat down and switched on his microwave set. «Stand by,» he muttered. «I'm coming out now.»
He ignited the jets, blew the laterals for three seconds and then the forwards. The Weekender lifted easily, shaking debris from her back and sides like a whale surfacing. As she slid up and back, Foyle called: «Dynamite, Jiz! Now!»
There was no blast; there was no flash. A new crater opened in the asteroid below him and a flower of rubble sprang upward, rapidly outdistancing a dull steel ball that followed leisurely, turning in a weary spin.
«Ease off.» Jisbella's voice came cold and competent over the earphones. «You're backing too fast. And incidentally, trouble's arrived.»
He braked with the rear jets, looking down in alarm. The surface of the asteroid was covered with a swarm of hornets. They were Dagenham's crew in yellow and black banded spacesuits. They were buzzing around a single figure in white that dodged and spun and eluded them. It was Jisbella.
«Steady as you go,» Jiz said quietly, although he could hear how hard she was breathing. «Ease off a little more. . .Roll a quarter turn.»
He obeyed her almost automatically, still watching the struggle below. The flank of the Weekender cut off any view of the trajectory of the safe as it approached him, but he could still see Jisabella and Dagenham's men. She ignited her suit rocket . . . he could see the tiny spurt of flame shoot out from her back . . . and came sailing up from the surface of the asteroid. A score of flames burst out from the backs of Dagenham's men as they followed. Half a dozen dropped the pursuit of Jisbella and came up after the Weekender.
«It's going to be close, Gully,» Jisbella was gasping now, but her voice was still steady.
«Right. You'd better pilot, Gully. I'll do the talking.»
He nodded, fixing explosive to the face of the safe, attaching caps and fuses. Then he placed his helmet against hers. «Vacuum fuses, Jiz. Timed for two minutes. When I give the word by short-wave, just pull off the fuse i heads and get the hell out of the way. Right?»
«Right.»
«Stay with the safe. Once you've talked it into the ship, come right after it. Don't wait for anything. It's going to be close.»
He thumped her shoulder and returned to the Weekender. He left the outer hatch open, and the inner door of the airlock as well. The ship's air emptied out immediately. Airless and stripped by Jisbella, it looked dismal and forlorn.
Foyle went directly to the controls, sat down and switched on his microwave set. «Stand by,» he muttered. «I'm coming out now.»
He ignited the jets, blew the laterals for three seconds and then the forwards. The Weekender lifted easily, shaking debris from her back and sides like a whale surfacing. As she slid up and back, Foyle called: «Dynamite, Jiz! Now!»
There was no blast; there was no flash. A new crater opened in the asteroid below him and a flower of rubble sprang upward, rapidly outdistancing a dull steel ball that followed leisurely, turning in a weary spin.
«Ease off.» Jisbella's voice came cold and competent over the earphones. «You're backing too fast. And incidentally, trouble's arrived.»
He braked with the rear jets, looking down in alarm. The surface of the asteroid was covered with a swarm of hornets. They were Dagenham's crew in yellow and black banded spacesuits. They were buzzing around a single figure in white that dodged and spun and eluded them. It was Jisbella.
«Steady as you go,» Jiz said quietly, although he could hear how hard she was breathing. «Ease off a little more. . .Roll a quarter turn.»
He obeyed her almost automatically, still watching the struggle below. The flank of the Weekender cut off any view of the trajectory of the safe as it approached him, but he could still see Jisabella and Dagenham's men. She ignited her suit rocket . . . he could see the tiny spurt of flame shoot out from her back . . . and came sailing up from the surface of the asteroid. A score of flames burst out from the backs of Dagenham's men as they followed. Half a dozen dropped the pursuit of Jisbella and came up after the Weekender.
«It's going to be close, Gully,» Jisbella was gasping now, but her voice was still steady.