nel blasted with that ray gun. Ten shots at
once! Wow! That guy must have nerves made of steel!"

Within an hour the jet freighter was circling Venusport and was given
priority clearance for an immediate landing. Immediately upon landing,
the ship swarmed with Solar Guardsmen, grim-faced men assigned to guard
it, while technicians checked the ship for identification. The three
boys were still wearing the jungle garb when they presented themselves
to Major Connel with the request for a little sleep.

"Take an aspirin!" roared Connel. "We've got important work to do!"

"But, sir," said Roger, his eyes half-closed, "we're dead on our feet!
We've been out in the jungle for three days and--"

"Manning," interrupted the spaceman, "everything you saw during that
business back at Sinclair's might be valuable. I'm sorry, but I'll have
to insist that you talk to the Solar Guard security officers first. As
tired as you are, you might forget something after a heavy sleep."

There was little else the boys could do but follow the burly officer out
of the ship to a well-guarded jet cab which took them through the
streets of Venusport to the Solar Guard headquarters.

They rode the elevator to the conference room in silence, each boy
feeling at any moment that he would collapse from exhaustion. In the
long corridor they passed tough-looking enlisted guardsmen who were
heavily armed, and before being allowed into the conference room, they
were scrutinized by a burly officer. Finally inside, they were allowed
to sit down in soft chairs and were given hot cups of tea to drink while
precise, careful interrogators took down the story of their first
meeting with the Venusian Nationalists. They were forced to repeat
details many times, in the hope that something new might be added.
Groggy after nearly two hours of this, the boys felt sure that the time
had come for them to be allowed to get some sleep, but after the last
question from the interrogators, they were ushered into the presence of
Commander Walters, Major Connel, Professor Sykes, Captain Strong, and
several recording secretaries. Before the conference began, Delegate E.
Philips James arrived with his personal secretary. He offered his
excuses for being late and took his place at the long table. Tom shot a
glance at the secretary. The man looked vaguely familiar to him. The
cadet tried to place him, but he was so tired that he could not think.

"Major Connel," began Commander