the three cadets stood in front of the shop with all
the gear they would need and hailed a jet cab. They stowed their newly
purchased equipment inside and started to climb in as Astro announced,
"Spaceport, driver!"

"Huh?" Roger paused. "Why back there?"

"How do you think we're going to get to the jungle belt?" asked Astro.
"Walk?"

"Well, no, but--"

"We have to rent a jet launch," said Astro. "Or try to buy a used one
that we can sell back again. Pile in, now!"

As the cab shot away from the curb with the three cadets, the proprietor
of the pawnshop stepped out of the doorway and watched it disappear, a
puzzled frown on his face. Quickly he re-entered the shop, and limping
to a small locker in the rear, opened it, exposing the screen of a
teleceiver. He flipped on the switch, tuned it carefully, and in a
moment the screen glowed to life.

"Hello, this is the shop," called the little man. "Lemme speak to Lactu!
This is urgent!" As he waited he stared out through the dirty window to
the street where the cadets had been a moment before and he smiled
thinly.

* * * * *

Arriving at the spaceport, Astro led his unit mates to a privately owned
repair hangar and dry dock where wealthier Venusian citizens kept their
space yachts, jet-powered craft, and small runabouts. Astro opened the
door to the office with a bang, and a young girl, operating an automatic
typewriter, looked up.

"Astro!" she cried. "How wonderful to see you!"

"Hiya, Agnes," replied Astro shyly. The big cadet was well known and
liked at the repair hangar. His early life had been spent in and around
the spaceport. First just listening to the stories of the older spacemen
and running errands for them, then lending a helping hand wherever he
could, and finally becoming a rigger and mechanic. This all preceded his
years as an enlisted spaceman and his eventual appointment to Space
Academy. His big heart and honesty, his wild enthusiasm for any kind of
rocket power had won him many friends.

"Is Mr. Keene around?" asked Astro.

"He's with a customer right now," replied Agnes. "He'll be out in a
minute." Her eyes swept past Astro to Tom and Roger who were standing in
the doorway. "Who are your friends?"

"Oh, excuse me!" mumbled Astro. "These are my unit mates, Cadet Corbett
and Cadet Manning."

Before Tom could acknowledge the introduction, Roger stepped in front of
him and sat on the edge of the desk. Looking