The heat drove Ron away. He turned and walked back toward Tarnuff again. The latter hadn't moved.
"Well, Jordan," he grated, "I hope you're satisfied with your bungling! Here goes theLuciferright from under us, thanks to you. There's enough oxygen in these space-suits for about one more hour."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about it!" Ron laughed suddenly, laughed in joyous relief, and pointed. "Look! Here comes help, and just in the neck of time!"
Far behind them a tiny silvery dot was barely discernible against the darkness; but it grew steadily larger as it took on the shape of a space-ship, moving unmistakably toward them. They watched in silence as it came nearer.
Suddenly Tarnuff exclaimed:
"Help, did you say, Jordan? Here comes the final touch, you mean—our finish! That's a patroller!"
"Are you sure of that, Tarnuff?"
"Sure of it? Man, I've been dodging the Patrol so much out here that I can tell 'em a million miles off!"
"So—I win after all, Tarnuff! That statement you signed absolves me. Let 'em come!" Ron waved his arms wildly in the direction of the approaching ship. "Come on you birds, step on it!"
Tarnuff reached suddenly in his pocket and brought out the folded paper.
"Yes, it does clear you, doesn't it? You and your brother both! Thanks for reminding me, Jordan, in the excitement I almost forgot about that...."
And then Tarnuff's voice became shrill with maniac glee:
"But it won't do either of you any good! By the time that Patrol ship gets here there won't be any paper!"
He whirled suddenly and leaped toward the stern rocket tubes only a few yards away.
In a flash of horror Ron realized his intention—to destroy that paper in the rocket blast! Ron took two bounding steps after him, and then realized he could never catch him in time. But Ron still held the atom pistol. He swung his arm stiffly up in a straight line with Tarnuff's back, and pulled the trigger.
It was a purely instinctive action, and not until a split second later did Ron realize it. And he laughed wildly then, for Tarnuffhadbeen bluffing about that pistol; there was no reverse action to it. He saw the center of Tarnuff's back explode in ghastly devastation. Then Tarnuff, or what was left of him, plunged head foremost down along the sharp curve of the hull toward the rocket tubes.
Ron leaped after him, but it was too late. He saw the crumpled paper jarred from Tarnuff's outflung hand. It drifted lazily on, down over the rocket tube and then out into the blast, where it vanished in an insignificant little puff of flame.
Ron was suddenly very weary. He didn't move from where he stood, he just sat down there, bowed his head in his hands, and waited.
"Hello, hello. Jordan, is it? Can you hear us? Hello!" The voice came so faintly in Ron's ears that it sounded like a dream. He lifted his head, stared around, and then realized it was coming through his phone.
"Yeah, I hear you," he replied tonelessly, looking out at the Patrol ship which was nearer than he had supposed.
"Commander Graham of Patrol shipTerraspeaking! Lucky thing for you, Jordan—we've had you in our magniview plate for the past half-hour, and in our phones for the past ten minutes. We heard everything, so don't worry, you're in the clear. ThatistheLuciferI suppose?"
"You suppose right, Commander! Come and get it!"
Ron looked back at the Silicytes. They were still at it! The damn things were insatiable! The gaping hole had widened perceptibly, and they were working in his direction now. Ron could almost imagine he felt the heat of them already.
He leaped to his feet and turned on his helmet phone full power.
"Hey, Commander!" he yelled. "Pardon me for asking, but how long would it take you to hurry? You'd better get here in five minutes or I'll be a mere hunk of dessert for these animated rock-piles. Step on those rockets!"
He heard someone chuckling, and then he sighed his relief as he saw the Patroller respond with full blast.
[1]Entities of silicon found only on the large asteroids. Almost human in shape and actions, they possess a silicic life-base rather than carbon, and remain a puzzle to scientists who have studied them. Being comparatively docile, reasonably intelligent, and tireless workers, they were originally brought to Earth for purposes of cheap labor. It was soon discovered, however, that they could be very dangerous. They possessed a fantastic and insatiable appetite formetal, and if not closely watched would destroy any with which they came in contact—first corroding it by means of peculiar crystalline emanations, and then digesting it. After some very calamitous experiences, the law was passed in 2139 forbidding any Silicytes being removed from the asteroids, on penalty of death.
[1]Entities of silicon found only on the large asteroids. Almost human in shape and actions, they possess a silicic life-base rather than carbon, and remain a puzzle to scientists who have studied them. Being comparatively docile, reasonably intelligent, and tireless workers, they were originally brought to Earth for purposes of cheap labor. It was soon discovered, however, that they could be very dangerous. They possessed a fantastic and insatiable appetite formetal, and if not closely watched would destroy any with which they came in contact—first corroding it by means of peculiar crystalline emanations, and then digesting it. After some very calamitous experiences, the law was passed in 2139 forbidding any Silicytes being removed from the asteroids, on penalty of death.