inutes later."

The communicator paused, then continued. "One thing more, Foster. The
Connies know how badly we want that asteroid, but they also know we don't
want it enough to start a war. Got that?"

"Got it," Rip stated wryly. "I got it good. Thanks for the warning, Terra
base. Foster off."

"Terra base off. Stay out of high vack."

Fine advice, if it could be taken. Rip stared up at the brilliant stars,
thinking fast. The Connie would have almost an hour's lead on the
space-patrol cruisers. In that hour, if the Connie were willing to pay
the price in blasted snapper-boats, Consops would have the asteroid. And
Terra base had made it clear that the space patrol would not try to blast
the Connie cruiser, because that would mean war.

Added together, the facts said just one thing: They had one hour in which
to think of some way to hold off the Connies for an additional hour.

The Planeteers were clustered around him. Rip asked grimly, "Any of you
ever study the ancient art of magic?"

The Planeteers remained silent and tense.

"Magic is what we need," Rip told them. "We have to make the whole
asteroid disappear, or else we have to conjure up a space cruiser out
of the thorium. Otherwise, we have barely an hour till we're either
prisoners or dead!"

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Peril!

Sergeant major Koa asked thoughtfully, "Sir, would it do the Connie much
good to launch boats this close to the sun? They'd have to use too much
fuel just keeping position."

"You could be right," Rip said slowly. Koa had a point! To counter
gravitational attraction took velocity, which meant consumption of fuel.
Maneuvering boats meant rapid velocity changes. Against the sun's
terrific gravity at this distance, it also meant maximum thrust and
maximum fuel flow most of the time. The asteroid, in a planned orbit with
the correct velocity, was safe enough, and the Connie cruiser would
simply match the asteroid's orbit. But boats, which had to maneuver, were
another matter.

Rip figured quickly. In accordance with Newton's Law, gravitational
attraction increased rapidly on approaching a body. If he could put the
asteroid even closer to the sun, the boat problem would become worse,
until even a small velocity change in the wrong direction could leave
a boat in the terrible position of not having enough thrust for a long
enough time to keep from being drawn into the sun.

But to change the asteroid's orbit was dangerous! It mea