CHAPTER 13Bruce at times saw Jupiter shining in his viewscreen, a brilliant scintillating star only 300 million miles away. Even its four large moons—so far held by Earth—could be easily seen with the naked eye. Bruce looked at it yearningly. That’s where he wanted to go, eventually. That’s where Dora and Dr. Kent waited in unknown duress. That’s where a secret Martian war base lay like a spider in its lair, waiting to leap forth in total surprise.
Bruce shook his head. Between him and that bright star lay the bulwark of the Martian fleet, a steel wall of moving parts. Unless that rampart of space were broken apart, reaching Jupiter was only a dream.
Bruce took savage joy in outmaneuvering Martian craft that he met during attacks, and blasting them to oblivion when he gave the fire order
