The Planet Strappers

Book Excerpt: ...h's major projects--their first space bubble, or bubb which they had been cutting and shaping with more care and devotion than skill."Cripes--put that damn shiv away, Tif!" Art snapped. "Or lose it someplace!"Ramos, who was a part-time mechanic at the same garage where Tiflin worked, couldn't help taunting. "Yeah--smoking, too. Oh-oh. Using up precious oxygen. Better quit, pal. Can't do much of that Out There."This was a wrong moment to rib Tiflin. He was in an instant flare. But he ground out the cigarette at once, bitterly. "What do you care what I do, Mex?" he snarled. "And as for you two Hunky Kuzaks--you oversized bulldozers--how about weight limits for blastoff? Damn--I don't care how big you are!"In mounting rage, he was about to lash out with his fists, even at the two watchful football men. But then he looked surprised. With a terrible effort, he bottled up even his furious words. The Bunch was a sort of family. Members of families may love eac...