ese
blasts. The Planeteers retired to their cave, which was now lined with
nuclite as a protection against radiation.

Rip watched his dosimeter climb steadily as the radiation dosage mounted.
Then he took the landing boat to the _Scorpius_, talked the problem over
with the ship's medical department and arranged for his men to take
injections that would keep them from coming down with radiation sickness.

They left the asteroid belt far behind, and passed within ten thousand
miles of Mars. The _Scorpius_ sent its entire complement of snapper-boats
to the asteroid for protection, in case Consops made another try, then
flamed off to Marsport to put in new supplies to replace those damaged
when Rip had forced sudden and disastrous acceleration.

The asteroid had reached earth's orbit before the cruiser returned. Of
course, earth was on the other side of the sun. Rip ordered a survey and
found the best place on the dark side to make a new base. The Planeteers
cut out a cave with the torch, lined it with nuclite, and moved in their
supplies. It would be their permanent base to the end of the trip.

The sun was very hot now. On the sunny side of the asteroid the
temperature had soared far past the boiling point of water. But on the
dark side, Rip measured temperatures close to absolute zero.

When the _Scorpius_ returned he arranged with Commander O'Brine for the
Planeteers to take turns going to the cruiser for showers and decent
meals.

The asteroid approached the orbit of Venus, but the bright planet was some
distance away, at its greatest elongation to the east of the sun. Mercury,
however, loomed larger and larger. They would pass close to the hot
planet.

O'Brine recalled Rip to the _Scorpius_ and handed him a message.

ASTEROID NOW WITHIN PROTECTION REACH OF MERCURY AND TERRA BASES. YOUR
ESCORT NO LONGER REQUIRED. PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TITAN, TAKE ON CARGO AND
PERSONNEL.

The commander sighed. "Looks like I'll never get to earth long enough to
see my family."

Rip sympathized. "Tough, sir. Perhaps the cargo from Titan will be
scheduled for Terra."

"That's what I hope," O'Brine agreed. "Well, here's where we part. Is
there anything you need?"

Rip made a mental check on supplies. He had more than enough. "The only
thing we need is a long-range communicator, sir. If you're leaving, we'll
have no way to contact the planet bases."

"I'll see that you get one." The Irishman