"That would be a good, safe distance, sir," Koa agreed with a grin.
"But let's suppose the Connie isn't as timid as I am," Rip went on. "He might be only a few miles out. The question is, would he wait to get closer before launching his snapper-boats?"
The big Hawaiian answered frankly, "I've never been in a spacegrab like this before. I don't know what the answer is."
"That Connie Cruiser's Not Too Close, Koa."
"We'll soon know," Rip replied grimly. A thought had just struck him. The Scorpius had trouble finding the asteroid because it was just one of many sailing along through the belt. But now the asteroid was the only one traveling across the belt. It would make an outstanding blip on any radar 'scope. It wasn't possible that the Connie cruiser had missed the blip and its significance.
"The Connie may be looking us over," Rip added, "but I can tell you one thing for sure. He knows we've taken the asteroid." Only human hands could swerve a heavenly body from its orbit.
Koa looked wistfully at the atomic bomb which remained. "If we had a way to throw that thing at them...."
"But we haven't. And the thing wouldn't explode anyway. We don't have the outside casing with an exploder mechanism, so it has to be turned on electrically." Rip could see no way to use the atomic bomb against the Connies. It was too big for use against a landing party. Besides, it would put the Planeteers in danger.
"Ever have trouble with the Connies before?" he asked Koa.