Rocket from Infinity Read Online Free PDF Page A

fair!” Rachel Barry protested.
    It was at this point that the real excitement started.
    Jane Barry, her eyes flashing anger, had just stepped forward in her mother’s defense. “You’re all mean and greedy and heartless,” she cried. “I wouldn’t let my mother join your Brotherhood—”
    She was interrupted by the wounded Blaney who had been sulking over the injustices done him. His indignation rekindled, he came resolutely to his feet and pointed again.
    â€œI got a complaint, blast it! That bushy-face there is one of the three bleeders that stole my ore!”
    The reaction of the men was instantaneous.
    A sudden question came into Pete’s mind. The man that the complaining Blaney pointed to was Homer Deeds. Could he also have been responsible for the load of shale dropped on Pete’s father? An ugly roar went up and chairs were tipped over. Nearby miners moved toward the male member of the Barry trio and he took a slow, backward step.
    Without thinking, Pete was up and out of his chair. The danger here was potent. The mood of the miners was such that violence could flare instantly. In fact it was flaring, and Pete’s instincts threw him into action.
    He leaped forward and grabbed the bearded man by the arm, putting himself in the way of the advancing miners. His quick movement threw them slightly off-balance and they hesitated.
    â€œOut! Quick!” Pete snapped. He pushed the man toward the door.
    Rachel Barry, not able to react quickly, had looked around, confused, and been pushed down into a chair. Thus, she was out of harm’s way.
    But Jane had turned and was on the other side of the bearded man, helping Pete push him toward the door.
    â€œHurry, Uncle Homer!”
    They went through the door and Pete slammed it behind him and turned the key that had been left in the lock when the meeting opened.
    They were in the anteroom now. The anteroom was a feature of practically all buildings in the Belt, public or private; the place where magnetic boots, an absolute requirement for outdoor movement, were left; they resembled rubbers used on the bigger planets during rainy weather.
    â€œGrab a pair!” Pete directed as he dived toward the pile.
    The man Jane had called Uncle Homer seized a pair of the boots and started toward the door.
    â€œNo,” Pete said. “Put them on. Well have time. It’s worth it.”
    He picked up a pair and handed them to Jane, but she pushed them away, her eyes snapping. “I’ll get my own, thank you!”
    Pete’s anger flared. “All right, you little spitfire. But do it! Don’t just stand there. Those men mean business.”
    Someone hit the door now and Pete knew the next battering effort would be greater and the door would soon give. He regretted that the magnetic unit switch was not in the anteroom. Had that been the case he could have switched it off and degravitized the hall, leaving the miners to flounder helplessly.
    â€œAll right,” he said, “let’s go!”
    Uncle Homer was already pulling his boots toward the outer door. It was like a man walking in deep mud, with the double pull of the boots and the hall’s gravity unit.
    Jane was straining at her boots, lifting them with great difficulty. Pete seized her arm to help. Angrily, she shook it off.
    â€œAll right,” he snapped. “Stay here, then. They won’t hurt you or your mother.”
    Jane reversed quickly. “No! I want to go too. Please help me.”
    Pulling his extra burden toward the already opened door, Pete pushed Jane through after Uncle Homer, who had helped no one but himself. Instantly the double gravity pressure abated and the three were able to run along the surface of the asteroid against the adjusted gravity pull of the boots.
    â€œMy car’s right over there. Hurry. It will carry three in an emergency.”
    The door had smashed open inside, and now Pete’s wisdom in stopping