myself and tell
me to bring it home. Maybe it isn't a very big world, but that doesn't
change things much."

O'Brine chuckled. "I never expected to get an admission like that from a
Planeteer."

"And I," Rip retorted, "never expected to make one like that to a
spaceman."

The chief analyst returned, a sheet of computations in his hand. "Report,
sir. The albedo measurement is correct. This may be it."

"How long before we get the measurements and comparisons?"

"Ten minutes, perhaps."

Rip spoke up. "Sir, there's some data I'll need."

"What, Lieutenant?" The analyst got out a notebook.

"I'll need all possible data on the asteroid's speed, orbit, and physical
measurements. I will have to figure a new orbit and what it will take to
blast the mass into it."

"We'll get those. The orbit will not be exact, of course. We have only
two reference points. But I think we'll come pretty close."

O'Brine nodded. "Do what you can, Chief. And when Foster gets down to
doing his calculations, have your men run them through the electronic
computer for him."

Rip thanked them both, then stood up. "Sir, I'm going back to my men. I
want to be sure everything is ready. If there's a Connie cruiser headed
this way, we don't want to lose any time."

"Good idea. I think we'll dump you on the asteroid, Foster, and then
blast off. Not too far, of course. Just enough to lead the Connie away
from you if its screen picks us up."

That sounded good to Rip. "We'll be ready when you are, sir."

The chief analyst took less than the estimated ten minutes for his next
set of figures. Commander O'Brine called personally while Rip was still
searching for the right landing-boat ports. The voice horn bellowed, "Get
it, Lieutenant Foster! The mass measurements are correct. This is your
asteroid. Estimated twelve minutes before we reach it. Your data will be
ready by the time you get back here. Show an exhaust!"

Rip found Koa and the men and asked the sergeant major for a report.

"We're ready, sir," Koa told him. "We can get out in three minutes. It
will take us that long to get into space gear. Your stuff is laid out,
sir."

"Get me the books and charts from the supplies," Rip directed. "Have
Santos take them to the chief analyst. I'm going back and figure our
course. No use doing it the hard way on the asteroid, when I can do it in
a few minutes here with the ship's computer."

He turned and hurried back, hauling himself along by han