"The strong-willed woman scientist!" her dupe sneered. "Armstrongs are the better ships."
"Katherine!" Miss Kanton ejaculated. "I'll have you dissipated if you continue this! I shall not tolerate much more!"
"You haven't time, granny," her dupe replied blithely.
The field pilots jetted the small two-seater ships out onto the field and into the launching cradles. When they were readied and equipped, the pilots signaled the Tindars and the Kantons.
"Beta, you and Miss Kanton's dupe take one," Alpha Tindar said. "Miss Kanton will drive me in the other. If there is a preliminary dissipation of one of us, no one will be hurt that way."
Beta nodded and Miss Kanton's dupe grabbed his hand and ran for one of the ships.
"I honestly believe she's been drinking," Miss Kanton murmured, watching her duplicate laughing as Beta helped her into the ship.
Alpha walked in a slow and stately manner to the other ship and opened the air-lock for the girl.
The ships flashed jets out of their rear tubes and rose slowly from the ground cradles. A thunderous roar sent them both soaring into the stratosphere, where the ships veered together and rocketed out of sight towards the band of transplanted asteroids that swung in an orbit around the earth two hundred thousand miles beyond the moon.
Alpha Tindar settled himself deeper into the tight, sponge spring chair by Miss Kanton's side and watched with admiration the magnificent piloting job his "atomic brother" was doing. The other ship was keeping exactly abreast of Miss Kanton who was setting the pace.