ch of them knew that the
winner of this race probably would go down in the history of deep space.
There was fame and fortune to be won now. Quent Miles ignored Sticoon
and swaggered over to Kit Barnard.

"You were lucky, Barnard," he sneered. "Too bad it won't last for the
race."

"We'll see, Quent," said Kit coolly.

Sticoon said nothing, just watched them quietly. Quent Miles laughed and
walked off the stand. Kit Barnard looked at Sticoon. "What's the matter
with him?" he asked.

The Martian shrugged. "Got a hot rocket in his craw," he said quietly.
"But watch your step with him, Kit. Personally, I wouldn't trust that
spaceman as far as I could throw an asteroid."

Kit grinned. "Thanks--and good luck."

"I'll need it if you get that reactor of yours working," said the
Martian.

He turned and left the stand without a word to Tom, Roger, or Astro. The
three cadets looked at each other, feeling the tension in the air
suddenly relax. Strong was busy talking to someone on the portable
intercom and had missed the byplay between the three finalists.

"That Quent sure has a talent for making himself disliked," Tom
commented to his unit mates.

"And all he's going to get for it is trouble," quipped Sid, who would
not let any argument take away the pleasure he felt over winning the
trials. "I'm going back to our ship and find out what happened to those
feeders."

"I'll come with you," volunteered Astro.

"Just a minute, Astro," interrupted Strong. "I've been talking with
Commander Walters. He's on his way back to the Tower of Galileo and
called me from the portable communicator on the main slidewalk. He wants
me to report to his office on the double. You three will have to take
care of the final details here."

"Come down when you can," said Sid to Astro, and turned to leave with
Kit.

"Something wrong, sir?" asked Tom.

"I don't know, Tom," replied Strong, a worried frown on his face.
"Commander Walters seemed excited."

"Does it have anything to do with the race?" asked Roger.

"In a way it does," replied Strong. "I'm leaving on special assignment.
I'm not sure, but I think you three will have to monitor the race by
yourselves."

* * * * *

Major Connel sat to one side of Commander Walters' desk, a scowl on his
heavy, fleshy face. The commander paced back and forth in front of the
desk, and Captain Strong stood at the office window staring blankly down
on the dark quadr