Soon the _Space Devil_ was blasting away from
the night side of the planet, heading toward the sun. When they reached
an altitude of a thousand miles above the surface of the planet, Loring
maneuvered the jet boat into position outside the ship and placed the
crude reactant bomb inside. Ready, he gave Roger the signal to make the
run out of the sun toward the _Polaris_. Roger relayed the orders to
Shinny and Mason, and the _Space Devil_ rocketed back toward the planet
again.
Loring, sitting inside the jet boat, waited until they had reached an
altitude of five hundred miles.
"All right, Manning," said Loring, "give me the course!"
Roger calculated the rotational speed of the planet, the _Space Devil's_
altitude, and the speed of the jet boat. He drew a line between the
_Space Devil_ and _Polaris_, checked it on the astro compass, and
reached for the intercom mike. He ran a dry tongue over his lips and
called out the course.
"Course is one forty-three--" He caught himself and stared at the chart.
Suppose Tom or Astro or anyone was near the ship? Even if he missed by
several hundred yards, the bomb would certainly be fatal.
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