is
legs into a more comfortable position. Though the Venusian's weight
still pressed him down in the seat, the muscular cramps were relieved.
He began to pay attention to what Vidac and Bush were saying in the
front seat of the car.

"We'll blast off as soon as we reach the spaceport," said Vidac, "and get
up to the asteroid."

"Why so fast?" asked Bush.

"I want to get rid of those nosy space rats as quickly as possible. Then
I'll go after Strong."

Bush shook his head. "That won't be easy. Strong's not a Space Cadet.
He's Solar Guard. And good Solar Guard at that!"

Tom smiled in wholehearted agreement with the lieutenant governor's
henchman.

Vidac sneered. "Don't make me laugh! Didn't you see the way I convinced
those dumb colonists that the cadets were responsible for the
professor's murder? If they'd stopped to think about it, they would have
realized I was putting one over on them. All you have to do is keep
talking, fast and loud. Keep them off balance, and don't let them
think."

"There's the spaceport road," said Bush. "And there's the _Polaris_. I
hope we don't have any trouble with the grease monkeys when they see us
hauling the cadets out."

"If they start anything," said Vidac with a sneer, "you know what to
do."

"Sure," said Bush, patting his paralo-ray gun.

The car roared through the gates of the spaceport and sped across the
hard surface of the field. A moment later it came to a shuddering stop
at the base of the giant rocket cruiser.

"All right," said Vidac. "Get them aboard the ship. Hardy will blow a
gasket if we don't get this over with in a hurry."

Hardy! The name hit Tom like a trip hammer. So Hardy was mixed up in it!
Hardy, the respected Governor of Roald, the man responsible for the
welfare of the colony and the lives of the colonists, was really a
swindler and a thief. Now if Jeff only had Professor Sykes's journal
they could tie everything together, providing he could stop Vidac from
sending them off to a prison rock! Tom's thoughts were suddenly
interrupted by the movement of Astro's heavy body on top of him. The
young cadet broke out into a cold sweat. When he had been supposedly hit
by the paralo ray his arms had been outstretched! He had been so busy
thinking about Hardy's connection with Vidac that he had forgotten to
resume his original position.

Astro was hauled out of the car and Bush reached in the car to get Tom.
The boy braced himself and waited as the space