. "I can call you Fireman, can't I? After
all, you are a pretty hot rocket, and--"

"Get back to your posts!" roared Firehouse Tim in his loudest voice.

Roger and Astro grinned and hurried out of the small building. Before
resuming their posts in the hangar, the two cadets stopped at an
automatic soda dispenser. As they drank slowly, they looked around the
hangar. The project was back in full operation now. The workers that
had been cleared had heard about the arrest of their foreman, and there
seemed to be more talk than work.

Dave Barret walked over to Roger and Astro. Nodding in a surprisingly
friendly fashion, he said, "I want to commend you two boys on your good
work a while ago. I think that traitor would have tried anything if you
hadn't been there. He might even have tried to kill me or the
professor."

Roger and Astro mumbled curt thanks for the compliment.

Barret looked at them quizzically. "No need for us to be angry with each
other," he said smoothly. "I realize that when we had our two little
run-ins you were carrying out your duties, and I apologize for behaving
the way I did. How about it? Can we shake and forget it?" He held out
his hand. Astro and Roger looked at each other and shrugged, each in
turn, taking the young man's hand.

"You know," said Barret, "I've heard a lot about you three cadets of the
_Polaris_ unit. Especially you, Manning. I understand that you know
almost as much about electronics as your instructor at the Academy."

Roger grinned shyly. "I like my work."

"Well, blast my jets!" roared Astro. "That's the first time I have ever
heard Manning accept a compliment gracefully." The big Venusian turned
to Barret. "He is not only the finest astrogator in the whole high,
wide, and deep," he said sincerely, "but he could have had a wonderful
career in electronics if he didn't want to be a rocket jockey with me
and Corbett."

"Is that so?" murmured Barret politely. "Well, Manning, you must have
some ideas about the work that's going on here."

"I sure have," said Roger. "And I see a lot of things here that could be
done a lot easier."

"Hum," mused Barret. "You know something. I think I might be able to
relieve you two of guard duty. After all, if Corbett can get out of it,
I don't see why I can't put your talents to work for us here. How about
it?"

Both boys almost jumped straight up in the air.

"That would be terrific, Mr. Barret!" exclaimed Astro.

"Call me Dave, Ast