three weeks of radiation, then," Corporal Santos
observed. "Can we take it, sir?"

Rip shrugged, but the gesture couldn't be seen inside his space suit. "At
the rate we're getting radiation now, plus what I estimate we'll get from
the nuclear explosions, we'll get the maximum safety limit in just three
weeks. That leaves us no margin, even if we risk getting radiation
sickness. So we have to get shielding pretty soon. If we do, we can last
the trip."

Private Dominico saluted and moved forward. "Sir, may I ask a question?"

Rip turned to face the Planeteer, still worrying over the problem. He
nodded and said, "What is it, Dominico?"

"Sir, I think we can't worry too much about this radiation, eh? You will
think of some way to take care of it. What I want to ask, sir, is when do
we let go the bombs? I do not know much about radiation, but I can set
those bombs like you want them."

Rip was touched by the Planeteer's faith in his ability to solve the
radiation problem. That was why being an officer in the Special Order
Squadrons was so challenging. The men knew the kind of training their
officers had, and they expected them to come up with technical solutions
as the situation required.

"You'll have a chance to set the bombs in just a short while," he said
crisply. "Let's get busy. Koa, load all bombs but one ten KT on the
landing boat. Stake the rest of the equipment down. While you're doing
that, I'll find the spots where we plant the charges. I'll need two men
now and more later."

He went back to his instrument, putting the radiation problem out of his
mind--a rather hard thing to do with the colorimeter glowing pink next to
his shoulder. Koa detailed men to load the nuclear bombs into the landing
craft, left Pederson to supervise, and then brought Santos with him to
help Rip.

"The bombs are being put on the boat, sir," Koa reported.

"Fine. There isn't too much chance of the blasts setting them off, but
we'll take no chances at all. Koa, I'm going to shoot a line straight out
toward Alpha Centauri. You walk that way and turn on your belt light.
I'll tell you which way to move."

He adjusted his sighting rings while the sergeant major glided away.
Moving around on a no-weight world was more like skating than walking. A
regular walk would have lifted Koa into space with every step. Of course,
the asteroid had some gravity, but so little that it hardly mattered.

Rip centered the top of the instrument's ve