sh burr thick enough to saw boards came out of the communicator.
"Foster, this is MacFife, commander of the _Aquila_. Y'can't see me on
account of I'm on yer sunny side. But, lad, I'm closer to ye than the
Connie. We did it this way to keep the asteroid between us and him. Also,
lad, if ye'll take a look up at Gemini, ye'll see somethin' ye'll like.
Look at Alhena, in the Twins' feet. Then, lad, if ye'll be patient the
while, ye'll have a grandstand seat for a real big show."

Rip tilted his bubble back and stared upward at the constellation of the
twins. He said softly, "By Gemini!" For there, a half degree south of the
star Alhena, was the clean line of a nuclear cruiser's exhaust. The
_Sagittarius_, out of Mercury, had arrived.

He cut the communicator off for a moment and spoke exultantly to his men.
"Stand easy, you hairy Planeteers. Forget the Connie. He doesn't know it,
but he's caught. He's caught between the Archer and the Eagle!"

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - COURTESY - WITH CLAWS

_Sagittarius_, constellation of the Archer, and _Aquila_, constellation of
the Eagle, had given the two Federation patrol cruisers their names. The
Eagle was commanded by a tough Scotsman, and the Archer by a Frenchman.

Commander MacFife spoke through the communicator. "Switch bands to
universal, lad. Me'n Galliene are goin' to talk this Connie into a braw
mess. MacFife off."

Rip guessed that the two cruiser commanders had been in communication
while enroute to the asteroid and had cooked up some kind of plan. He
turned the band switch to the universal frequency with which all
long-range communicators were equipped. Each of the earth groups had its
own frequency, and so did the Martians and Jovians. But all could meet and
talk on the universal band.

Special scrambling devices prevented eavesdropping on regular frequencies,
so there was no danger that the Connie had overheard the plan. Rip
wondered what it was. He knew the cruisers had to be careful not to cross
the thin line that might lead to war.

The _Sagittarius_ loomed closer, decelerating with a tremendous exhaust.
The Connie couldn't have failed to see it, Rip knew. He was right. The
Consops cruiser suddenly blasted more heavily, rushing in the direction
away from the Federation ship. The direction was toward the asteroid.

And at the same moment, the _Aquila_ flashed above the horizon, also
decelerating. The Connie was caught squarely.

A suave voice spoke on th