Bolts by Alexander Key

diplomatic, “you know he’s a swell critter—even as a ghost.”
    â€œI have my points,” Pirate admitted, preening himself. “I’m glad you recognize them. It shows you’re not as stupid as you look.”
    Big Butch snorted. “I still say he’s a crow and oughta be boiled for the cat.”
    â€œHe’d be poor pickings,” said a small voice from under a bunk. “I’d rather try a bat.”
    â€œBy Joe!” said Bolts, blinking at the dim shape of Claws. “How come you’re aboard?”
    â€œI go where I please,” said Claws, eyeing him reproachfully. “Don’t talk to me. I don’t like the way you growl—not one little bit!”
    â€œAw, don’t be a sorehead ’cause I fuzzed you up,” Bolts protested. “I gotta protect folks, see?”
    Big Butch said, “Hey, Bolts, you’re the only one here who can understand Claws. What’s he saying?”
    â€œDon’t—you—ever—repeat—what—I—say,” Claws warned. “If you do, I’ll never tell you a secret—and I know plenty.”
    â€œO.K.,” Bolts agreed, and looked at Big Butch. “We were just getting acquainted. I was aiming to ask him about that renegade asteroid.”
    Claws shuddered. “Let’s talk about something else.”
    â€œThat asteroid’s a nightmare,” Big Butch admitted. “I’m afraid it’s going to be all a young dog can handle. Is your battery up good?”
    Bolts skipped a tick. “I—I could do with a little recharging.”
    â€œThen you’d better start recharging right now. We’ll be there in three hours.”
    â€œI-I’d recharge better if you’d sorta wise me up first. H-how big is this varmint?”
    â€œToo big to be easy,” Big Butch grumbled, “and devilish black on his mean side. That’s the side you’ll have to tackle him from.”
    â€œUlp!” said Bolts, and skipped another tick. “How come I gotta tangle with his mean side?”
    â€œBecause that’s where the trouble is.”
    â€œW-what kind of trouble?”
    â€œDunno,” said Big Butch. “Nobody knows—not even Pirate. His second sight won’t work so far in space. So here is where you come in.”
    By this time poor Bolts was not only badly confused and upset, but with everything so ghosty around him his one desire was to crawl under a bunk and never come out.
    Then he gave himself a little shake, and said, “I’m kinda shy on experience. If I gotta chaw this asteroid down to size, seems I oughta know more about him. What’s the deal, Butch? Gimme all the facts.”
    â€œIt’s like this,” Big Butch began. “Bingo’s got a telescope, and he spotted this thing coming in fast from nowhere and starting to curve around the sun. It wasn’t an ordinary asteroid gone wild, because it was bright blue—like a big blue marble or maybe a little blue moon.”
    â€œB-blue marble—b-blue moon?”

    â€œThat’s right. So we hopped in the Space Jumper and flew out to have a look at it. Queerest thing you ever saw. All blue glass. It was sizzling hot and mostly melted on the sunny side, so we flew around to the dark side to land. It was like coming down in an ink bottle. Even with the searchlights on, we couldn’t make out much—and I’ve got super vision. But we could tell the glass wasn’t melted here—it was just lumpy, and all worn down and crumbly.”
    Big Butch paused. “Do you sort of see the place now?”
    â€œYup,” said Bolts, feeling a little easier. It had finally dawned on him what an asteroid was. “B-but what’s all the trouble about?”
    â€œJust this,” said Big Butch. “That lumpy worn-down glass didn’t look like much to me, but Bingo got the idea that it might be an old glass