Corbett," he said. "You take care of the big one."

"Right," replied Miles. "But stay well in back of them and keep your gun
on them all the time."

"How long do you think it'll take to get the ship loaded?" asked Brett.

"Couple of hours. But what are you going to do about Walters if he's
wise?" Miles shrugged his shoulders.

"Simple," said Brett. "We take the stuff we've got, haul it to the
hide-out, dump it, and return to Atom City. Then we just sit tight and
wait until the situation clears up here on Titan."

"What about that investigation?" asked Miles, keeping his eyes on the
cadets, who were now staggering back to the stairs, each carrying a
heavy lead box containing the precious uranium pitchblende.

"What can an investigation prove?" snorted Brett.

"I don't know. Walters and Strong are pretty smart cookies."

"Unless they have witnesses that you were messing around Kit Barnard's
ship, which they don't, and unless they find out about Ross, which they
won't, there isn't anything they can do."

Miles looked down at the shorter man beside him. "Ross, eh?" He laughed.

Brett stared at him and then shrugged. "I always get mixed up," he said.
"But you know what I mean."

"Sure, I know." Miles turned to watch Astro and Tom start up the stairs
to the balcony, the lead boxes on their shoulders. "What are you going
to do with them?" he said.

"Take them to the hide-out and decide later. Besides, they'll be handy
for unloading the ship."

"Good idea," nodded Miles. He took a deep breath and smiled. "I sure
wish I could see Walters' face when he learns about the new load of
uranium that'll flood the market."

Brett laughed. "Yeah, and with the customs clearance we'll get to haul
in the crystal, there'll be no way they can figure out how it's getting
in."

Miles turned and shouted at the two cadets struggling up the stairs.
"Come on, you two. Get a move on."

"We're making it as fast as we can, Miles," Astro protested.

"It ain't fast enough," sneered the spaceman. He reached out with his
free hand and slapped Astro across the mouth. "That's just to remind you
to watch your tongue, or you might wind up an icicle again."

Astro dropped the box and crouched, his big frame ready to be released
like a coiled spring. Miles backed up and fingered the trigger on the
ray gun. "Come on, stupid," he snarled. "Come on, I'll give it to you
again, only this time--" He smiled.

"No, Astro," called Tom. "There's n