Listless belched hopefully.
"That's very important," put in Murphy.
"You win the brass plated bus bar, Doc," conceded Listless. "But, oh boy, if it hadn't worked."
"The thing to do now," said the ever-practical Murphy, "is to set up a couple of choice locations. Listless, how about hopping back to the Belt and picking up a nice, big, round rock to set up the first plant on?"
"It's okay with me," Listless agreed.
"I don't like to leave the set up yet," I protested. "I'm not sure of the equilibrium point. Let's take that control out to One and set it up there. Murphy and I will stick there and keep our eyes on the system until you get back. I can handle any slight variables that may show up."
So we put up a dome on the first planetoid and moved the control equipment into it. With enough food and an air supply to last a couple of days, we decided that Listless could head straight for Earth and see if he could interest one of the lesser brewers in our plan.
After Listless had gone, Murphy and I sat around lazily, telling each other what we would do after we got the beer industry running smoothly. We puttered around with our minds, taking an occasional glance at the new sun, dropping off for a cat nap when we felt like it. I was in the middle of one of those when Murphy woke me up shaking my shoulder.
"Huh?" I said sleepily.
"Get up, Doc, there's a ship coming in." I rubbed my eyes and gazed out through the dome port. It wasn't the Buster. There were no stripes on it. And this ship had different lines.