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It had started showing after they had landed on Amaterasu. He had begun to dress more neatly and speak more grammatically; to look and act more like a spaceman and less like a barfly. His men had begun to jump to obey when he gave an order. He had opposed the raid on Beowulf, but that had been the dying struggle of the chicken-thief he had been.
He turned and gazed helplessly at the gleaming hull of the Polaris. "So they know," he said bitterly. "They're trying to stop me from even reaching Venus." The three cadets looked at each other and then at the burly spaceman, bewilderment in their eyes. "What's this all about, sir?" Roger finally asked. "I'm not at liberty to tell you, Manning," replied Connel.
If the gees in the wagon clean him, or the desk man gets it, that's their business. But I'm going to run a straight beat, or else!" That was followed by a call to remove a berserk spaceman from one of the so-called rooming houses. Gordon noticed that workmen were busy setting up a heavy wooden gate in front of the entrance to the place.
"I have a better suggestion, sir," said Strong. "Well?" "Since there are only three finalists, how about putting one cadet on each ship? Then I can take the Polaris and go on out to Titan now. When the boys arrive, they could help me with my investigation." Walters looked at Connel. "What do you think, Major?" "Sounds all right to me," replied the veteran spaceman.
His eyes darted to Feldman's tobacco sack and there was animal appeal in them. Feldman hesitated, then reluctantly rolled a smoke. He held the cigarette while the spaceman took a long, gasping drag on it. He smoked the remainder himself, letting the harsh tobacco burn against his lungs and sicken his empty stomach.
"By the craters of Luna," he roared good-naturedly, "you three space-brained idiots had me scared! I thought you would really let go with that mortar!" Tom and Roger grinned, relieved to find the spaceman unhurt, while Astro looked off at the disappearing fleet of ships. "What's happened, sir?" asked Tom. "What's it all about?" "Haven't time to explain now," said Connel.
Tom dove at the box and tried to pull it off the stabilizer, but Major Connel grabbed him by the arm and wrenched him out into space. "You space-blasted idiot!" Connel growled. "That thing's liable to go off any second! Get away from here!" With a mighty shove, the spaceman sent Tom flying out toward the jet boat and then jumped to safety himself.
Cadet Candidate Tom Corbett," answered the boy. "Wanta be a spaceman, do ya?" asked Mike, pushing his jaw out another inch. "Yes, sir!" "Been studying long hard hours in primary school, eh? Talked your mother and father deaf in the ears to let you come to Space Academy and be a spaceman! You want to feel those rockets bucking in your back out in the stars?
"You can drop that now," said a voice in back of Tom. The curly-haired cadet whirled around to face Governor Hardy, holding a paralo-ray rifle up to his shoulder, aimed and ready to fire. "You're a good spaceman, Corbett," said Hardy in a cold, harsh voice, "but this is the last time you'll ever get into my hair!"
A child plays as a child, so " Tau's voice came in a rumble, but Tau was gone. The huge, hairy thing which swayed in his place turned a gorilla's beast visage to his enemy. For a breathless moment Terran ape confronted Khatkan lion. Then the spaceman was himself again. "The time for games is over, man of Khatka. You have tried to hunt us to our deaths, have you not?
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