Docchi nodded. "Get me ship-to-asteroid communication, if there's any
radio left."
"There is." Jordan made the adjustment.
"Vogel, we're going out. Give us the proper sequence and save the dome
some damage."
There was no reply.
"He's trying to bluff," said Jordan. "He knows the airlocks to the
main dome will automatically close if we do break through."
"Sure," said Docchi. "Everyone in the main dome is safe, _if_
everyone is in there. Vogel, we'll give you time to think about
that."
Jordan gave him the time until it hurt, waiting. Meanwhile he flipped
on the telecom and searched the rocket dome. Nothing was moving; no
geepee was in sight. Docchi watched the screen with interest. What he
thought didn't show on his face.
Still there was no reply from Vogel.
"All right," Docchi said in a low, hard voice. "Jordan, take it out.
Hit the shell with the bow of the rocket."
The ship hardly quivered as it ripped through the transparent covering
of the rocket dome. The worst sound was unheard: the hiss of air
escaping through the great hole in the envelope.
Jordan sat at the controls, gripping the levers. "I couldn't tell," he
said slowly. "It happened too fast for me to be sure. Maybe Vogel did
have the inner shell out of the way. In that event, it's all right
because it would close immediately. The outer shell is supposed to be
self-sealing, but I doubt if it could handle that much damage."
He twisted the lever and the ship leaped forward.
"Cameron I don't mind. He had enough time to get out if he wanted to.
But I keep thinking that Nona might be in there."
Docchi avoided his eyes. There was no light at all in his face. He
walked away.
Jordan rocked back and forth. The hemisphere that held what remained
of his body was well suited for that. He set the auto-controls and
reduced the gravity to one-quarter Earth normal. He bent his great
arms and shoved himself into the air, deftly catching hold of a guide
rail. He would have to go with Docchi. But not at the moment. He felt
bad.
That is, he did until he saw a light blinking at a cabin door. He had
to investigate that first.
* * * * *
Jordan caught up before Docchi reached the cargo hold. In the lesser
gravity of the ship Jordan was truly at home.
Docchi turned and waited for him. Jordan still carried the weapon he
had taken from the pilot. It was clipped to the sacklike garment he
wore, dangling from his midsection, which, for him was just below his
shoulders. Down the corridor he flew, swinging from the guide rails
lightly, though gravity on the ship was as erratic as on the asteroid.
Docchi braced himself. Locomotion was not so easy for him.
Jordan halted beside him and dangled from one hand. "We have another
passenger."