The Project Gutenberg eBook, Anchorite, by Randall Garrett, Illustrated by
Schelling

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Title: Anchorite

Author: Randall Garrett

Release Date: November 20, 2007 [eBook #23561]
[Date last updated: January 16, 2009]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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Transcriber's note:

This etext was produced from _Analog Science Fact Science Fiction_,
November, 1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence
that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

ANCHORITE

by

JOHNATHAN BLAKE MACKENZIE

Illustrated by Schelling

There are two basic kinds of fools--the ones who know they are
fools, and the kind that, because they do not know that, are
utterly deadly menaces!

The mountain was spinning.

Not dizzily, not even rapidly, but very perceptibly, the great mass of
jagged rock was turning on its axis.

Captain St. Simon scowled at it. "By damn, Jules," he said, "if you can
see 'em spinning, it's too damn fast!" He expected no answer, and got
none.

He tapped the drive pedal gently with his right foot, his gaze shifting
alternately from the instrument board to the looming hulk of stone
before him. As the little spacecraft moved in closer, he tapped the
reverse pedal with his left foot. He was now ten meters from the surface
of the asteroid. It was moving, all right. "Well, Jules," he said in his
most commanding voice, "we'll see just how fast she's moving. Prepare to
fire Torpedo Number One!"

"Yassuh, boss! Yassuh, Cap'n Sain' Simon, suh! All ready on the firin'
line!"

He touched a button with his right thumb. The ship quivered almost
imperceptibly as a jet of