Page 7 (1/2)
The work shift of the ring fraghtlessness, peace, and privacy of the space-float gave place to sohtlessness, which continued, becaatory than a paradise under the new conditions Try to manipulate an ordinarily non-portable heat projector It could be lifted despite the fact that it was six feet high and wide and alhed only a fraction of an ounce But its inertia was exactly what it had always been, which meant that if it wasn&039;t , taking you with it Then you would have to hike the pseudo-grav field of your suit and come doith a jar
Keralski had hiked the field a little too high and he ca doith hile His crushed ankle had been the first casualty of the expedition
Rioz earing fluently and nearly continuously He continued to have the i the back of his hand across his forehead in order to wipe away the accu sweat The few times that he had succumbed to the i loudly inside his suit, but served no useful purpose The desiccators within the suit were sucking ation-exchanged liquid, containing a careful proportion of salt, into the appropriate receptacle
Rioz yelled, "Daive the word, will you?"
And Swenson&039;s voice rang in his ears, "Well, how long am I supposed to sit here?"
"Till I say," replied Rioz
He strengthened pseudo-grav and lifted the projector a bit He released pseudo-grav, insuring that the projector would stay in place for ether He kicked the cable out of the way (it stretched beyond the close "horizon" to a power source that was out of sight) and touched the release
The ment was composed bubbled and vanished under its touch A section of the lip of the tremendous cavity he had already carved into its substance hness in its contour had disappeared
"Try it now," called Rioz
Swenson was in the ship that was hovering nearly over Rioz&039;s head
Swenson called, "All clear?"
"I told you to go ahead"
It was a feeble flicker of steam that issued from one of the ship&039;s forward vents The ship drifted doard the ring fragment Another flicker adjusted a tendency to drift sidewise It caht
A third flicker to the rear slowed it to a feather rate
Rioz watched tensely "Keep her co You&039;ll make it You&039;ll make it"
The rear of the ship entered the hole, nearly filling it The bellying walls ca vibration as the ship&039;s motion halted
It enson&039;s turn to curse "It doesn&039;t fit," he said
Rioz threw the projector groundward in a passion and went flailing up into space The projector kicked up a white crystalline dust all about it, and when Rioz carav, he did the same
He said, "You went in on the bias, you du far et out of the way
The ship scraped up from the pit, then shot into space half ait to a halt
Swenson said tensely, "We&039;ll spring half a dozen plates if we do this once again Get it right, will you?"