"At least, nothing short of an atomic war head! Come on.
Let's get you cleaned up!"

Putting his arm around Tom's shoulder, the big Venusian led him across
the floor of the deserted gym, and as they disappeared through the
automatic sliding doors, a tall figure in the uniform of the Solar Guard
stepped out of the shadows on the balcony above. It was Captain Strong.

He stood silently at the rail, looking down at the mats and the soggy
discarded boxing gloves. Tom had won the fight, he thought, but he had
lost the war. The unit was now farther apart than it had ever been.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 6

"Well, Steve, how's everything going?"

Captain Steve Strong didn't answer right away. He returned the salute of
a Space Cadet passing on the opposite slidewalk and then faced Commander
Walters who stood beside him, eyeing him quizzically.

"Things are shaping up pretty well, Commander," he replied, finally,
with an air of unconcern.

"The Earthworm units buckling down to business?" Commander Walters'
voice matched Strong's in nonchalance.

"Yes, I'd say so, sir. Speaking generally, of course." Strong felt the
back of his neck begin to flush as Walters kept eyeing him.

"And--speaking specifically, Steve?"

"Why--ah--what do you mean, sir?"

"Let's stop fencing with each other, Steve." Walters spoke kindly but
firmly. "What about Manning and Unit 42-D? Are those boys learning to
work together or not? And I want facts, not hopes!"

Strong hesitated, trying to word his reply. In these weeks that had
followed Tom's fight with Roger in the gym, there had been no further
incidents of open warfare. Roger's attitude, once openly defiant, had
now subsided into a stream of never-ending sarcasm. The sting had been
taken out of his attack and he seemed satisfied merely to annoy. Astro
had withdrawn into a shell, refusing to allow Roger to bother him and
only an occasional rumble of anger indicated his true feelings toward
his troublesome unit-mate. Tom maintained his role of peacemaker and
daily, in many ways, showed his capacity for leadership by steering his
unit-mates away from any storm-provoking activities.

Strong finally broke the silence. "It's difficult to answer that
question with facts, Commander Walters."

"Why?" insisted Walters.

"Well, nothing's really happened," answered Steve.

"You mean, nothing since the fight in the gym?"

"Oh--" Strong flushed. "You know about that?"

Commander Walte