Jeff shook his head in bewilderment.
"I don't know," he said helplessly. "I just don't know."
The ship was now nearly upright. Suddenly, with an abruptness that startled both men, it shook itself free of the jacks and teetered free for a second, before coming to rest, its nose pointing straight up.
"Here it goes," said Pete, a tinge of excitement in his voice. They moved back some yards to be out of the way of the takeoff blast. Suddenly the ground trembled under their feet. Pete put his hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"Here it goes," he repeated, in a whisper.
Flame burst abruptly from the base of the ship. It was warming up its tubes. Slowly the flame puffed out from its base and it began to rise.
Jeff shook suddenly with an uncontrollable shudder. His voice came to Pete through the earphones, starkly afraid.
"Now what?" he cried. "What'll he do now?"
Pete's grip tightened on his shoulder.