greater.

The blow, occurring under the conditions of Vesta's tiny gravity, had an
entirely un-Earthly effect. Neely, eyes glazing, floated gently up and
away. And Endlich, since he had at the last instant clutched Neely's
arm, was drawn along with the miner in a graceful, arcing flight through
the smoky air of the bar. Both armored bodies, lacking nothing in
inertia, tore through the tough plastic window, and they bounced lightly
on the pavement of the main section of the rec-dome.

Neely was as limp as a wet rag, sleeping peacefully, blood all over his
crushed face. But that he was out of action signified no peace, when so
many of his buddies were nearby, and beginning to seethe, like a swarm
of hornets.

So there was an element of despair in Endlich's quick actions as he
slammed Neely's face-window and his own shut, picked up his enemy, and
used his jets to propel him in the long leap to the airlock of the dome.
He had no real plan. He just had the ragged and all but hopeless thought
of using Neely as a hostage--as a weapon in the bitter and desperate
attempt to defend his wife and children from the mob that would be
following close behind him....

Tumbling end over end with his light but bulky burden, he sprawled at
the threshold of the airlock, where the guard, posted there, had stepped
hastily out of his way. Again, capricious luck, surprise, and swift
action were on his side. He pressed the control-button of the lock, and
squirmed through its double valves before the startled guard could stop
him.

Then he slammed his jets wide, and aimed for the horizon.

* * * * *

It was a wild journey--for, to fly straight in a frictionless vacuum,
any missile must be very well balanced; and the inertia and the slight
but unwieldy weight of Neely's bulk disturbed such balance in his own
jet-equipped space suit. The journey was made, then, not in a smooth
arc, but in a series of erratic waverings. But what Endlich lacked in
precise direction, he made up in sheer reckless, dread-driven speed.

From the very start of that wild flight, he heard voices in his helmet
phones:

"Damn pun'kin-head greenhorn! Did you see how he hit Neely, Schmidt?
Yeah--by surprise.... Yeah--Kuzak. I saw. He hit without warning....
Damn yella yokel.... Who's comin' along to get him?..."

Sure--there was another side to it--other voices:

"Shucks--Neely had it coming to him. I hope the farmer really murders