!"

"That has nothing to do with it, Astro," said Tom. "Put yourself in his
position. We've only got one or two things to think about. He's
responsible for it all."

"Just like he was when I sailed with him twenty-five years ago," said
Shinny. He swallowed the remains of his tea and reached for a plug of
tobacco. "He's all spaceman from the top of his head to the bottom of
his space boots."

"I'm rather inclined to agree with you, Tom," said Alfie mildly.
"Leadership carries with it the greatest of all burdens--responsibility
for other peoples' lives. You, Corbett, as a control-deck cadet, would
do well to mark Major Connel's pattern of behavior."

"Listen," growled Astro, "if Tom ever turned out to be a rocket buster
like Connel--I'd--I'd--"

"Don't worry, Astro," Tom said, laughing. "I don't think there'll be
another Major Connel in a million light years!"

Shinny laughed silently, his small frame shaking slightly. "Say it
again, Tommy. Not in the whole universe will there ever be another like
old 'Blast-off' Connel!"

On the deck below the messroom, Roger, balancing a tray carefully on one
hand, opened the electronic lock of the brig and then stepped back
quickly, leveling a paralo-ray gun.

"All right, Mason, Loring," he yelled, "come and get it!" The door slid
open, and Loring stuck his head out. "Any funny business," Roger warned,
"and I'll stiffen you so fast, you won't know what hit you!"

"It's about time you showed up!" growled Loring. "Whaddaya trying to do,
starve us to death?"

"That's not a bad idea!" said Roger. Loring took the tray. Roger
motioned him back inside the brig and slammed the door shut. He locked
it and leaned against the grille.

"Better eat it while you can," he said. "They don't serve it so fancy on
a prison asteroid."

"You'll never get us on a prison asteroid," whined Mason.

"Don't kid yourself," said Roger. "As soon as we get the reactor units
set, we're going to send this hunk of copper back to Earth and then take
you back. They'll bury you!"

"Who's going to do all that?" snapped Loring. "A bunch of punk kids and
a loudmouthed Solar Guard officer?"

"Yeah," retorted Roger.

"_Cadet Manning!_" Connel's voice roared over the intercom. "You were
ordered to report to the control deck in five minutes! You are already
one minute late! Report to the control deck on the double and _I mean
double!_"

Loring and Mason laughed. "Old 'Blast-off' Connel's really got your
n