d them. "Hide you

[Saltourides Nutile]

Pe that loomed suddenly
distinct and near.
They dashed for the open port, still holding together. One of the
bulging, helmeted Llotta had reached the port and was scrambling
inside. Blaine loosed himself and pounced on him, swinging one of his
hooks in a sweeping, clawing arc. It caught in the fabric of the
fellow's suit, ripping a foot-long slit. Like a punctured ballon it
deflated and became a shriveled, clinging thing. The Llott hung there
over the rim of the port, instantly suffocated and frozen stiff in
the vacuum and intense cold of space as the air and heat of the suit
was dissipated. * * * * * Blaine dragged the rigid body from the
opening and flung it to the white powdered copper surface. Wheeling,
he saw that another of the Llotta had engaged Tommy. Two of them: in
fact, there were three swollen figures in that mix-up.
And the fourth was advancing on a smaller figure that turned and ran.
Ulana! In a flash he was after them. Tom Farley would have to look
out for himself, poor devil. With two of them against him, the
outcome was dubious. And

then came a second snow-like
deluge of white particles.

He stumbled on, groping blindly; slipping, sliding in the precarious
footing. It was ankle deep now, that powdery
carpet of ice
particles. Oh God, if that Llott devil got Ulana! He groaned aloud, a
hideous mournful echo in the confines of the helmet. Groping,
staggering there in the white silence, he gave up hope. The
white-carpeted shell of Antrid heaved mightily from the force of some
new
concussion within, and threw Blaine scrambling. Crawling now, feeling
his way over the shuddering surface, he saw
a dim huddled mass there in the pelting rain of ice. Moving, it was!
Two bloated figures, one large and one small, rolling over and over:
Ulana and the Llott who had chased her! He was there in one mad
scramble
and had dragged the fellow from her; was astride the rubbery inflated
covering, clawing and tearing.
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