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During the few minutes they had left, they casually discussed the chances of the senior space cadets against the enlisted guardsmen in a forthcoming mercuryball game, and then went up to the forward compartment of the Polaris, which served as a temporary observatory for Professor Sykes.
The cadets in the stands roared their approval of the gallant effort made by the three members of the Polaris crew. It had been a long time since mercuryball had been played with such deadly accuracy at Space Academy and everyone who attended the game was to remember for years to come the last play of the game.
Corbett here can pound down the grassy field for a goal in mercuryball, and I'll do the brainwork of space chess." The three visiting cadets exchanged sharp glances. "Everybody plays together, Manning," said Dixon. "You three take part in each sport as a unit." "Of course," nodded Roger. "Of course as a unit." The three cadets stood up, shook hands all around and left.
We made it our first hop into space! We're spacemen!" "The next event will be," Warrant Officer McKenny's voice boomed over the loud-speaker and echoed over the Academy stadium, "the last semifinal round of mercuryball. Polaris unit versus Arcturus unit."
Roger came forward smartly and shook hands with a smile. "We're sorta like a committee," began Dixon. "We've come to sign you up for the Academy sports program." They made themselves comfortable in the room. "You have a chance to take part in three sports. Free-fall wrestling, mercuryball and space chess." Dixon glanced at Houseman and Withrop.
The three boys were in a secluded corner of the gym, a large hall on the fourteenth floor of the dormitory building. At the far end of the gym, a group of cadets had just finished a game of mercuryball and were sauntering to the showers. When the last boy had disappeared, the floor was deserted except for Tom, Roger and Astro. "This will do fine, Corbett," said Roger.
"From the looks of Cadet Astro, free-fall wrestling should be child's play for him!" Astro merely grinned. "Mercuryball is pretty much like the old game of soccer," explained Houseman. "But inside the ball is a smaller ball filled with mercury, making it take crazy dips and turns. You have to be pretty fast even to touch it." "Sounds like you have to be a little Mercurian yourself," smiled Tom.
The crowd came to its feet as all six cadets made desperate attempts to clear the skittering ball with none of them so much as touching it. This was the part of mercuryball that pleased the spectator. Finally, Schohari managed to get a toe on it and he sent it down field, but Astro had moved out to play defense. He stopped the ball on his shoulder and dropped it to the ground.
Roger ignored the comment and opened the slip of paper to read: " ... It might interest you to know that the winning team of the mercuryball finals is to be awarded a first prize of three days' liberty in Atom City...." There was no signature. Roger stared up into the stands and searched vainly for some indication of the person who might have sent him the note.
The crowd hushed as McKenny stepped forward for the starting of the last period. "What was in the note, Roger?" asked Tom. "The winning combination," smiled Roger lazily. "Get set for the fastest game of mercuryball you've ever played, Corbett! We've got to pull this mess out of the fire!" Bewildered, Tom looked at Astro who merely shrugged his shoulders and took his place ready for the whistle.
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