"Go ahead," he advised, "and see where it gets you."
* * * * *
All this time I knew that Murphy was just waiting his chance to jump at
Drake when suddenly the expression on his face told me that something
was up. I didn't dare turn around but I shifted for comfort and managed
to trip. As I picked myself up under Drake's watchful scrutiny I cast
a quick one over my shoulder. It was the _Beerbuster_, once _Zebra_,
coming in with a tail of one asteroid trailing along behind. I didn't
know what to do. Listless, unarmed, was going to walk right into a
trap. For I wasn't too sure that Drake was going to take us off when
the bomb let loose. Why should he? A nice experiment, three fine boys
busted up. Don't do it again, says the government. He'd be in the clear.
But Lomack must have had his eyes peeled and his toes socked, for he
shifted into an orbit instead of coming straight in.
In the meantime, Drake had spotted him, too, and had called his men
on the space phone. They had the bomb all set. "Bring that thing over
here and then get back on board," yelled Drake. The two men gingerly
picked up the globe and jumped daintily for us. They came to a gentle
stop, set it down, and beat it hastily for the ship again. Drake called
Listless.
"Hey, you space bum! This is Drake. I've got your two buddies under
control down here. Leave your ship and come on in or they won't last
much longer. Don't try anything funny or I'll knock them off right now."
Murphy and I listened tensely. There was silence for a moment.
"_Brrrack!_" said Listless. It was the prettiest sound.
Drake was taken aback. For the moment it took to get started he
couldn't think of an adequate reply. That was all the time Listless
needed. Murphy and I stood in open-mouthed admiration at what came
next. I could almost see Listless' stiff toes bursting through his
socks.
From traveling in a short orbit, the tail of the _Beerbuster_ was
standing out at right angles to the direction of flight. In a moment,
Listless had flicked on the side plates, swung the ship around tail
first and farther so that the asteroid followed through in a sweeping
arc and headed straight for us. Drake stood in stunned astonishment;
and because Drake was the brains, the two bums stood in the port of
their ship and just looked. Which was their very hard luck.
* * * * *
The asteroid finished up its arc smack against Drake's ship. Like a
gigantic hammer it smashed and crumpled the plates and the heat of the
collision flashed into brilliant orange. The two boys on Drake's side,
for once not stopping for orders, had left but they had forgotten about
their lines. When the mass of rock hit, they were jerked like live fish
on the ends of leaders. We heard them scream through the mike and then
they were silent.
I laughed; I couldn't help it, desperate as the situation was. Dirty
Dudley was really getting smeared--but good.
In the meanwhile Outhouse had wasted neither energy nor purpose in
gathering Drake in while his attention was concentrated on ducking.
Dirty Dudley didn't have a chance. I caught the paralyzer as it flew my
way. But I didn't need it. Drake was out. Murphy had clonked him on the
helmet with a metal-clad excavator. I was avenged.
Listless got the tail under control and brought the rock in the usual
way. He swung it nicely over our heads and put it nicely next to us. I
didn't even duck. Then he opened the lock and came across. There were
two other men with him.
"What happened?" he asked. I told him. He went over and took a look at
Drake and stirred him with his foot.
"Good thing I brought witnesses," he remarked. Then he introduced us
to the other two and told us that they were interested in starting a
brewery around our private light.
"It would have been very nice," said Parker, the senior partner, "to
get away from Drake. He was slowly driving us out of business. Now of
course, he won't offer any trouble. So I guess we'll stick to Earth."
My heart sank.
"Just the same, I like it out here. How about letting me take over one
of your planets for a private home?"
It was a thought. Private homes, private grounds, private planets. No
looking over your neighbor's fences.
Sure.
The hell with the beer.
We'd go in for real estate.