ee 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. "If you think
the companies won't object to having cadets monitor their race for
them."

"They won't have anything to say about it," replied Walters. "I'd trust
those cadets under any circumstances. And the race won't mean a thing
unless we can find the source of trouble on Titan. There won't be any
crystal to haul."

"Fine," grunted Connel. He rose, nodded, and left the room. He was not
being curt, he was being Connel. The problem had been temporarily solved
and there was nothing else he could do. There were other things that
demanded his attention.

"What about me going along too, Commander?" asked Joan.

"Better not, Joan," said Walters. "You're more valuable to us here in
the Academy laboratory."

"Very well, sir," she said. "I have some work to finish, so I'll leave
you now. Good luck, Steve." She shook hands with the young captain and
left.

Walters turned back to Strong. "Well, now that's settled, tell me, what
do you think of the race tomorrow, Steve?"

"If Kit Barnard gets that reactor of his functioning properly, he'll run
away from the other two."

"I don't know," mused Walters. "Wild Bill Sticoon is a hot spaceman. One
of the best rocket jockeys I've ever seen. Did I ever tell you what we
went through a few years back trying to get him to join the Solar
Guard?" Walters laughed. "We promised him everything but the Moon. But
he didn't want any part of us. 'Can't ride fast enough in your wagons,
Commander,' he told me. Quite a boy!"

"And with Quent Miles in there, it's going to be a very hot race,"
asserted Strong.

"Ummmmh," Walters grunted. "He's the unknown quantity. Did you see that
ship of his? Never saw anything more streamlined in my whole life."

"And the cadets said he stripped her of everything but the hull plates."

"It paid off for him," said Walters. "He and Charley Brett are certainly
working hard to get this contract."

"There's a lot of money involved, sir," said Strong. "But in any case
we're bound to get a good schedule with the speeds established so far."

"Well, advise the cadets to stand by for blast-off with the finalists
tomorrow."

"Any particular ship you want them each assigned