ng who stood listening, a faint smile playing on
his lips.

"What's your name, Mister?"

"Manning. Roger Manning," he answered easily.

"So you've got a strained wrist, have you?" asked Mike mockingly while
sending a sweeping glance from top to bottom of the gaudy colored
clothes.

"Yes, sir."

"Can't carry your own luggage, eh?"

"Yes," answered Roger evenly. "I could carry my own luggage. I thought
the candidate from Venus might give me a helping hand. Nothing more. I
certainly didn't intend for him to become a marked man for a simple
gesture of comradeship." He glanced past McKenny toward the other boys
and added softly, "And comradeship _is_ the spirit of Space Academy,
isn't it, sir?"

His face suddenly crimson, McKenny spluttered, searching for a ready
answer, then turned away abruptly.

"What are you all standing around for?" he roared. "Get your gear and
yourselves over on that slidewalk! Blast!" He turned once again to the
rolling platform. Manning smiled at Astro and hopped nimbly onto the
slidewalk after McKenny, leaving his luggage in a heap in front of
Astro.

"And be careful with that small case, Astro," he called as he drifted
away.

"Here, Astro," said Tom. "I'll give you a hand."

"Never mind," replied Astro grimly. "I can carry 'em."

"No, let me help." Tom bent over--then suddenly straightened. "By the
way, we haven't introduced ourselves. My name's Corbett--Tom Corbett."
He stuck out his hand. Astro hesitated, sizing up the curly-headed boy
in front of him, who stood smiling and offering friendship. Finally he
pushed out his own hand and smiled back at Tom.

"Astro, but you know that by now."

"That sure was a dirty deal Manning gave you."

"Ah, I don't mind carrying his bags. It's just that I wanted to tell him
he's going to have to send it all back. They don't allow a candidate to
keep more than a toothbrush at the Academy."

"Guess he'll find out the hard way."

Carrying Manning's luggage as well as their own, they finally stepped on
the slidewalk and began the smooth easy ride from the monorail station
to the Academy. Both having felt the sharpness of Manning's tongue, and
both having been dressed down by Warrant Officer McKenny, they seemed to
be linked by a bond of trouble and they stood close together for mutual
comfort.

As the slidewalk whisked them silently past the few remaining buildings
and credit exchanges that nestled around the monorail station, Tom gave
thou