.

"Yes?" came a muffled voice from inside.

"Someone to see you, sir," called the guard.

"Just a moment."

The guard stepped to one side and stood at rigid attention. When the
door opened and Captain Strong was revealed, Tom brushed past the guard
and stepped into the room, talking quickly.

"My name is Hinkleworth, Captain," he announced. "I am here at the
request of Commissioner Jessup to discuss the installation of new radar
equipment on all Solar Guard rocket cruisers!"

Tom slammed the door closed behind him and turned to face the astonished
Solar Guard officer.

"What in the star-blazing--?" Strong began angrily.

"It's me, Captain Strong!" Tom said quickly, pulling his hat off and
lowering his collar.

"Corbett!" gasped Strong, taking an involuntary step back, his face
mirroring his disbelief.

"Sh!" whispered the boy, motioning to the door. Recovering his
composure, Strong swept past him, opened the door, and found the guard
still standing there at attention.

"All right, Corporal," said Strong. "Resume your station."

"Yes, sir," replied the guard and walked down the hall. Strong watched
him for a moment, then turned back into his room, closing and locking
the door behind him. He faced the young cadet, who grinned back at him
weakly.

"All right, spaceboy," said Strong, flopping in the nearest chair.
"Start at the beginning and give it to me. _All of it!_"

Tom began his story with the incident of the runaway truck at Marsport,
told of his abduction and escape from the two truckers, Cag and Monty,
his efforts to reach Space Academy, and finally revealed the identity of
the man he thought was responsible for the whole effort to stop the
projectile operation.

At this, Strong jumped to his feet. "That's the most fantastic thing
I've ever heard, Corbett!" he snapped. "What kind of proof do you have?"

"None, sir," replied Tom. "The only reason I came here tonight is to ask
you to help me get that proof."

When Strong was silent, shaking his head, Tom tried again.

"Sir, you do believe me, don't you?" asked the boy with a sinking
feeling in his heart. "What about all the things that have happened to
me and to Roger and Astro?"

"I can explain them away just as easily as you can explain your theory,"
replied Strong. He walked over and patted the cadet on the shoulder
sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Tom," he said gently. "Your story is just
too fantastic and you haven't even the slightest shre