ase of what happened."

Koa found the Connie with the communicator, tested it to be sure the
prisoner hadn't sabotaged it, and brought it to Rip.

"This is Foster to Terra base. Over."

"Come in, Foster."

Rip explained briefly what had happened and asked, "How is our orbit?
I haven't had time to take sightings."

"You're free of the sun," Terra base answered. "Your orbit will have to
be corrected sometime within the next few hours. The last blast pushed
you off course."

"That's a small matter," Rip stated. "Unless we can think of something
fast, this will be a Connie asteroid by then. The Consops cruiser is
moving in on us. He's careful, because he isn't sure of the situation.
But even at his present speed he'll be here in ten minutes."

"Stand by." Terra base was silent for a few moments, then the voice
replied, "I think we have an answer for you, Foster. Terra base off.
Go ahead, MacFife."

A Scottish burr thick enough to saw boards came out of the communicator.
"Foster, this is MacFife, commander on 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 t