ting--to want to blast off, and know that you
can't," said Tom.

"I tried, once," said Bernard, with a rueful smile. "Yup! I tried." He
gazed thoughtfully out the window.

"When I was your age, about twenty, I wanted to get into Space Academy
worse than anybody I'd ever met." He paused. "Except for one person. A
boyhood buddy of mine--named Kenneth--"

"Excuse me, sir," cut in Roger quickly, "but I think we'd better get
back to our car. With this big liberty in front of us, we need a lot of
rest."

"But, Roger!" exclaimed Tom.

Bernard smiled. "I understand, Roger. Sometimes I forget that I'm an old
man. And when you've already tasted the excitement of space travel, talk
like mine must seem rather dull." He stood up and faced the three
cadets. "It's been very pleasant, Corbett, Astro, Roger. Now run along
and get your rest. I'll just sit here for a while and watch the
scenery."

"Thank you, sir," said Tom, "for the dinner--your company--and
everything," he finished lamely.

There was a chorus of good-byes and the boys returned to their car. But
there was little conversation now. Gradually, the lights in the cars
dimmed to permit sleep. But Tom kept listening to the subdued click of
the monorail--and kept wondering. Finally Roger, sleeping next to him,
wakened for a moment.

"Roger," said Tom, "I want to ask you something."

"Wait'll the mornin'," mumbled Roger. "Wanta sleep."

"The way you acted with Bernard," Tom persisted. "You ate his dinner and
then acted like he was poison. Why was that, Roger?"

The other sat bolt upright. "Listen," he said. "Listen!" Then he
slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Lemme sleep, Corbett.
Lemme sleep, I tell you." He turned his back and in a moment was making
sounds of deep slumber, but Tom felt sure that Roger was not
asleep--that he was wide awake, with something seriously bothering him.

Tom leaned back and gazed out over the passing plains and up into the
deep black of space. The Moon was full, large and round. He could
distinguish _Mare Imbrium_, the largest of Luna's flat plains visible
from Earth, where men had built the great metropolis of Luna City.
Farther out in the deep blackness, he could see Mars, glowing like a
pale ruby. Before long he would be up there again. Before long he would
be blasting off in the _Polaris_ with Astro and with Roger--

Roger! Why had he acted so strangely at dinner?

Tom remembered the night he saw Roger in Galaxy Hall