Read Online Rocket from Infinity by Lester del Rey - Free Book Online Page A

plastic bubble of his monocar and pulled her inside. He slammed the bubble shut and turned the heat gauge to top capacity.
    â€œKeep your eyes closed,” he said.
    Frightened, Jane made no resistance as Pete turned her face upward to check for possible tissue damage.
    â€œHow do your eyes feel?”
    â€œThey feel all right.”
    â€œI guess you got them closed in time. Can you open them?”
    â€œNo.”
    They were frozen shut, of course, but there had probably been no damage to the eyeballs.
    â€œJust relax. And breathe through your mouth so you won’t pull the ice in your nostrils in deeper when it thaws. Of all the crazy tricks!”
    The tears that had run down Jane’s cheeks were solid ice. Using his fingernail, Pete carefully lifted the droplets away. They left white spots where they had instantly congealed.
    â€œYou could have gone blind in less than a minute!”
    â€œDo you think I don’t know that?”
    â€œThen why did you start bawling?”
    â€œMen are fools!” Jane replied, this being her answer to Pete’s lack of understanding.
    â€œI’d say it’s the other way around. I never saw a man do a stupid thing like that. Why doesn’t your mother take you to Mars where you belong?”
    â€œWe’ve got just as much right…!”
    â€œOkay! Okay! Forget I asked.”
    â€œLet me out of here!”
    Crowded into a car meant for only one, they were packed tight against each other. Jane began to struggle. The car rocked.
    â€œCut it out!” Pete snapped. “I don’t like this any better than you do. But until your nostrils get clear of ice and your eyes dry out, you’re going to stay here.” Fighting more tears, Jane turned her face away. Their headpieces were down, the monocar unit having taken over, and Jane sniffled faintly. She said nothing, and Pete couldn’t put any words together either. So they sat there, both of them angry, miserable, and completely frustrated.
    â€œDo you feel better?” Pete finally asked.
    â€œI feel all right.”
    â€œWell wait another couple of minutes. Then you can go back into your ship.”
    Another period of silence followed before Jane said, “I’m sorry.”
    It was the second time she’d admitted to being wrong, and Pete should have found satisfaction therein. But he did not find anything but annoyance. Why, he wondered, did he—practically a stranger—have to get involved with this weird family? He wasn’t hostile to them. He wished them all the good luck imaginable, but he had problems of his own without taking on theirs. Since he was in this spot, though, he had to be decent about it.
    â€œI think I can talk Dad into letting you moor on Juno.”
    â€œThank you,” Jane said contritely. “It doesn’t make any difference to me one way or another—you understand that, don’t you?”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œBut if Mother wants to moor there—” Jane cut off in mid-sentence, her face turning thoughtful.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” Pete asked.
    â€œI wonder why?”
    â€œWhy what?”
    â€œWhy Mother wants to moor on Juno. There are plenty of other asteroids if she’s tired of this one.”
    â€œThere’s no ore on Juno.”
    â€œYou mean you think my Mother plans to get all you—?”
    â€œNo,” Pete cut in quickly. “I didn’t mean that at all.”
    He’d learned how defensive she was—how quickly her anger flared and he preferred her in a reasonable mood.
    â€œThe things the Brotherhood says—”
    â€œI’m not the Brotherhood. I wish you’d understand that. I’m Pete Mason and I don’t go by what other people say.”
    â€œAre you two having a nice conversation?”
    The question came from the monocar speaker in warm, motherly tones that identified them as originating inside the Snapdragon. Rachel