instead of the control deck. I
didn't want to have to make a decision! My father had to make a decision
once. As skipper and pilot of the ship he decided to save a crewman's
life. He died saving a bum, a no good space-crawling rat!"

Tom and Astro sat stupefied at Roger's bitter tirade. He turned away
from them and gave a short laugh.

"I've lived with only one idea in my head since I was big enough to know
why other kids had fathers to play ball with them and I didn't. To get
into the Academy, get the training and then get out and cash in! Other
kids had fathers. All I had was a lousy hunk of gold, worth exactly five
hundred credits! A Solar Medal. And my mother! Trying to scrape by on a
lousy pension that was only enough to keep us going, but not enough to
get me the extra things other kids had. It couldn't bring back my
father!"

"That night--in Galaxy Hall, when you were crying--?" asked Tom.

"So eavesdropping is one of your talents too, eh, Corbett?" asked Roger
sarcastically.

"Now, wait a minute, Roger," said Astro, getting up.

"Stay out of this, Astro!" snapped Roger. He paused and looked back at
Tom. "Remember that night on the monorail going into Atom City? That man
Bernard who bought dinner for us? He was a boyhood friend of my
father's. He didn't recognize me, and I didn't tell him who I was
because I didn't want you space creeps to know that much about me. And
remember, when I gave Al James the brush in that restaurant in Atom
City? He was talking about the old days, and he might have spilled the
beans too. It all adds up, doesn't it? I had a reason I told you and
it's just this! To make Space Academy pay me back! To train me to be one
of the best astrogators in the universe so I could go into commercial
ships and pile up credits! Plenty of credits and have a good life, and
be sure my mother had a good life--what's left of it. And the whole
thing goes right back to when my father made the decision to let a space
rat live, and die in his place! So leave me alone with your last big
efforts--and grandstand play for glory. From now on, keep your big fat
mouth shut!"

"I--I don't know what to say, Roger," began Tom.

"Don't try to say anything, Tom," said Astro. There was a coldness in
his voice that made Tom turn around and stare questioningly at the big
Venusian.

"You can't answer him because you came from a good home. With a mom and
pop and brother and sister. You had it good. You were lucky, bu