But

nodded. “ ‘Unknown way’ is right. The raiders left very few clues. It appeared that the attack on the station had been carried out by a single ship, and that the locks to the dome had been opened from within. That implies an insider involved, of course. But the only thing that’s known for sure is that in a manner never clearly explained, the Dosey Asteroids Company lost six months’ production of gem-quality cut star hyacinths valued at nearly a hundred million credits. That was six years ago—and the great Dosey Asteroids robbery is still an unsolved mystery.”
He shook his head. “But let’s stick to the present. There’s nothing in sight on their wreck that might be, say, an automatic gun but . . . well, just move in carefully and stay ready to haul away very fast at the first hint of trouble!”
* * *
The Mooncat slid slowly down through the air near the point where the man stood in open ground, a hundred yards from the clump of trees out of which smoke still billowed thickly upwards. The man watched the speedboat’s descent quietly, making no further attempt to attract the attention of those on board to himself.
Duomart had said that the man was not a member of Handing’s lost crew but a stranger. He was therefore one of the Dosey Asteroid raiders.
Putting down her two land legs, the Mooncat touched the open hillside a little over a quarter of a mile from the woods, stood straddled and rakish, nose high. The storeroom lock opened, and a slender ramp slid out. Quist showed in the lock, dumped two portable shelters to the ground, came scrambling nimbly down the ramp.