Walters.

"I don't understand."

"From now on," Major Connel broke in, "the project will be in the hands
of the professor. If he needs anything, he'll tell Steve Strong. If
Strong can't fulfill the request, he'll pass it on to Commander Walters,
and if the commander feels it necessary to have your help, he will
contact you."

"You understand, of course," said Walters, trying to soften the major's
flat statement.

"Of course," replied Devers easily. "Still, if you need my help on this
thing at all, don't fail to call me."

"Thank you, Carter," said Walters. "You've been a great help already."

Shaking hands all around and wishing them well, Devers left the office.
Dave Barret, Commander Walters, and Professor Hemmingwell turned to
their study of the map, but Major Connel remained where he was, rubbing
his chin thoughtfully. He shook his head as if to brush an impossible
idea out of his mind and then turned to the map.

* * * * *

Tom Corbett, Roger Manning, and Astro stood at rigid attention in their
dormitory room, backs ramrod straight, eyes front, hands stiffly at
their sides. Captain Steve Strong, his face red and voice hoarse, strode
up and down in front of them.

"And another thing!" he roared. "This court reprimand goes on your
official records, and you're going to spend your time on guard duty like
any common Earthworm that doesn't know its rocket from its pocket!" For
nearly half an hour the cadets had listened to their unit instructor
bawl them out. "When I think," he continued, "when I _think_ of how
close you three space brats came to getting kicked out of the Academy--"
Words seemed to fail the young captain momentarily and he slumped on one
of the bunks and looked at the row of cadets, shaking his head. "Why, in
the name of Saturn, I ever accepted the responsibility of making you
three bird brains into cadets is beyond me. And to think that when you
first came here, I thought you had that special something to make you an
outstanding unit. I even went out on a limb for you. And now you pull a
stunt like this."

Behind them, the door opened and a short man, no more than five feet
tall, but with the bulging muscles of a tiny giant stretching his
bright-red enlisted man's uniform, stepped inside. He saluted Strong
smartly.

"Chief Petty Officer Rush here to assign the _Polaris_ unit to guard
duty, sir," he announced.

"All right, Firehouse," said Strong, using the