The Runaway Asteroid | Page 9

turn it into cash
and supplies. Then he's gone again.
"Apparently he discovered this remarkable asteroid the pirates took over. He's a trusting,
almost na•ve, decent man. He spoke unguardedly about his find at one time and Troy
Putnam learned about it. Putnam had St. George take him to the asteroid and paid him a
good price for the knowledge. St. George showed Putnam where it was, and then
disappeared into the Belt. Putnam went on to build his empire of pirates."
"And now you want us to find St. George so he can show us where the asteroid is,"
inferred Zip.
"It's not that simple, Starman. We've also learned that the pirates who escaped are the
most dangerous of the lot. Their leader is a very bad number named Lurton Zimbardo.
The pirates were willing to obey Troy Putnam because he encouraged them. They liked
him. He was a charismatic leader who gave them visions of grandeur and made them

think that they could pull off the impossible. But they are afraid of Zimbardo-for good
reason, from what we hear. He is a merciless, calculating spaceman, patiently willing to
play second-in-command to Putnam while waiting for his chance to take over. That
chance has now come.
"The pirates are greatly reduced in number now, but those who are left are extremely
dangerous. They will be fierce, uncompromising enemies. St. George is the only person
outside of the pirates who knows where the asteroid is, how to find it, and has some
knowledge of how it works. Where Putnam was willing to let St. George go about his
business, Zimbardo will certainly determine to eliminate him. Zimbardo will try hard to
find St. George. You must find him first. Protect him, and learn from him where the
asteroid is."
"What do we know about him? How can he be found?" asked Zip.
"He hasn't been heard from for over a year, and he could be anywhere in the Belt. But he
has a friend named Montezuma Vly. If anyone knows where St. George is, Vly will
know-and we know where Vly is."
"Why not just ask Vly where St. George is?" asked Mark.
"That's where your assignment begins," answered Konig. "Like St. George, Montezuma
Vly is an asteroid miner. Unlike St. George, he doesn't wander far from his home. But
Vly has a deep distrust of any authority figures. He lives on an asteroid he calls
Montezuma's Castle. He claimed it over thirty years ago and enjoys his privacy. No
government officials have any right to enter his domain. He is completely independent.
We're hoping that where officialdom can't act, you young Starmen can. When he knows
that George St. George is at risk, I'm sure he'll help you."
"Where do we find Montezuma Vly?" asked Mark, who was the navigator for the trio of
Starmen.
"Montezuma's Castle is not far from Ceres. You can get to Vly in less than a day from
Yellow City." Yellow City was the major center on Ceres, the largest and most important
asteroid in the system, with a population of around 100,000. It doubled as a spaceport,
and was a stopping-over and refueling point on the long voyage between the Inner and
Outer Planets.
"Go to Ceres first and check in there. Since the pirates will be searching for St. George,
you'll have to conduct your search quietly-using the Star Ranger and wearing Starman's
red uniforms won't do on this assignment. You'll need to change ships and clothes in
Yellow City. The rest of the information you'll need will be provided for you in files
which you can read as you travel."

Lurton Zimbardo called his five most trusted leaders to a meeting in one of the libraries
on the pirates' asteroid. Each was dressed in the gray and black uniform that Troy Putnam

had designed for the pirates for their failed mission to take over Mars. The meeting had
been going on for several hours and had involved a lot of detailed organizational work.
The men were tired and showing it. As usual, Zimbardo showed no signs of fatigue.
"Yes, gentlemen," said Zimbardo, "You know what to do now. We will need to get all of
our men busy and you must drive them, drive them relentlessly! I don't want to take any
longer on this work than we need to. We've been moving slowly out of the Asteroid Belt
for almost three days."
His laser pointer made a few small red circles on a chart in the library. "This is where we
were, and this is where we're going to be." The chart was nearly a full wall of smooth
quartz, illumined from the inside and showing the nearby configuration of asteroids.
The table was strewn with large books opened to star