“Rotzog and Johnson really are in bad shape,” Tom said. “I can’t stand by and see them roast from solar radiation.”
“Guess you’re right,” Bud agreed.
Tom tapped, “Rotzog, have you any silver nitrate with you?”
Rotzog gave an affirmative reply and Tom quickly gave instructions.
“Uncover your ozone converter and slowly pour through the catalyst bed a solution of silver nitrate. This will rejuvenate the invention you borrowed from me.
On your way down, restrict the flow of fuel through it. Don’t open your throttle wide.”
This time, Rotzog did not reply and Bud snorted. “He didn’t even thank you.
Say, Tom, aren’t you going to capture him when he comes down?”
“You bet I am,” Tom said grimly. Then, looking at his watch, he said, “We’d better forget him now and worry about our own landing. Our rocket ship’s over Lower California, and we must decelerate.
“Turn on that flight tape recorder, Bud,” he requested.
As Bud did so, the two boys looked at each other in pleased satisfaction. The race was almost over!
Suddenly Tom’s elation turned to concern as he glanced at the fuel gauges.
In order not to crash, he had to get every degree of energy possible from solar radiation.
A RECORD VICTORY 205
Tom began to decelerate and kept this up until at two hundred miles above the earth the Star Spear was nearly down to zero velocity. To his relief, the kicker was still working!
Bud, seeing the pleased expression on his friend’s face, reached over and said, “Inventor boy, you’ve even fooled yourself!”
“Yes, I have,” Tom admitted quietly.