The two men managed to subdue Ross with the aid of a needle from Dr. Jones’s kit-pocket.
Helena was in tears and tried to explain to the others: “Just for no reason at all——”
She got only icy stares. After a while she sulkily began setting up the Wesley board for the Earth jump.
..... 12
ROSS awoke, clearheaded and alert. Helena and Bernie were looking at him apprehensively.
He understood and said grudgingly, “Sorry I flipped. I didn’t mean to scare you. Everything seemed to go black——”
They smothered him with relieved protestations that they understood perfectly and Helena wouldn’t stick hairpins into the Wesley Drive ever again. Even if the ship hadn’t blown up. Even if she had rescued the men from “Minerva.”
“Anyway,” she said happily, “we’re off Earth. At least, it’s supposed to be Earth, according to the charts.”
He unkinked himself and studied the planet through a vision screen at its highest magnification. The apparent distance was one mile; nothing was hidden from him.
“Golly,” he said, impressed. “Science! Makes you realize what backward gropers we were.”