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"Who is it?" asked Strong, turning to the intercom connecting him with the control tower that co-ordinated all the landings and departures at the spaceport. The spaceman referred to a clipboard. "It's the Space Lance, sir. Piloted by Captain Sticoon. He's representing an independent company from Marsopolis." "Right, thanks."
"Find Kit Barnard, spaceman!" Strong called. "And give him an oral message. Personal. Tell him I said he can't use his reactor unit unless he changes it to more standard operational design." Strong paused and glanced at the paper again. "As it stands now, his reactor will not be approved for the trials," he continued. "Tell him he has until midnight tonight to submit new specifications."
Astro was hauled out of the car and Bush reached in the car to get Tom. The boy braced himself and waited as the spaceman grabbed him by the feet. He was pulled roughly out of the door and stood on his feet. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that Astro had been stood up beside the car like a tree. Vidac turned away from the giant cadet and started to give Bush a hand.
The more he exerted himself, the more helpless he became. His arms and legs splayed out in an effort to level himself, as he kept trying to fire the ray gun. Tom saw his chance and lunged through the air again, straight at the floating spaceman. He passed him in mid-air. Mason made an attempt to grab him, but Tom wrenched his body to one side and pulled the ray gun out of the other's hand.
The top rung of the ladder just reached the power-deck emergency hatch which was swung open, like a giant plug, revealing the thickness of the hull, nearly a foot. "Well," roared the red-clad spaceman, "don't you want to climb aboard and see what your ship looks like inside?" "Do we!" cried Tom, and made a headlong dash for the scaffold.
"I’m Hawkins, senior space officer," the spaceman said. "Welcome, Foster. We’ve been losing weight wondering if we’d get here in time." "I was never so glad to see spacemen in my life," Rip said truthfully. "What kind of craft is this, sir?" "Experimental," the space officer answered. "It has a number, but we call it the ball-bat because it’s shaped like a ball and goes like a bat.
"Whose idea was this to come snooping around while we're in flight?" he snarled. Astro bristled and stepped forward, towering over the smaller spaceman. "If we had anything to say about it, Mr. Winters, your company would be the last we'd want!" Winters glanced at Tom and Roger who stood to one side silently, their faces grim. Tom stepped forward. "Vidac sent us, Winters.
"You just blasted to the edge of the cluster and waited for enough time to pass and then came running back here!" "Why, you " growled Astro. He took a menacing step toward Vidac. The older spaceman didn't move. "Yes, Cadet Astro?" said Vidac coldly. "Did you want to say something?" Before Astro could speak, Tom stepped forward.
"Just a minute," Walters interrupted. "I would consider it a service, Kit, if you would send your young assistant back with your ship and you stick around until we get all the people safely off." "Anything I can do to help, sir," replied Kit. At that moment a tall enlisted spaceman walked up to Walters and saluted sharply. Walters noticed the stripes on his sleeve and his young-looking face.
"Cadets Manning and Astro left their posts without leave, sir," reported the stocky little spaceman. Captain Strong took an involuntary step forward, his face drained of all color. Connel looked at him, steely-eyed. "Did you hear that, Strong?" he growled. Strong nodded. "I I did," he stammered. "So those two idiots not only stole a rocket scout, but they left their posts."
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