u and I'll bring you out in the passageway and pound that head of
yours into space junk!"

"I wish you'd try that, you little squirt!" snarled Loring. "I'd break
you in two!"

"O.K., pal," said Roger, "I'm going to give you that chance!" He opened
the door to the cell and Loring stepped out. Holding the paralo-ray gun
on him, Roger relocked the door. Left inside, Mason stuck his face close
to the grille.

"Give it to him, Loring," he hissed. "Take him apart!"

Roger threw the paralo-ray gun in the corner of the passageway and faced
the heavier spaceman. He held his arms loosely at his side, and he
balanced on the balls of his feet. A slight smile played at the corners
of his mouth.

"Start breaking, Loring," he said quietly.

"Why, you--" snarled Loring and rushed in. He swung wildly for Roger's
head, but the cadet slipped inside the punch and drove a hard right to
Loring's mid-section. The prisoner doubled over, staggered back, and
slowly straightened up. Roger's lips were drawn tightly in a grimace of
cold anger. His eyes were shining hard and bright. He stepped in quickly
and chopped two straight lefts to Loring's jaw, then doubled the
spaceman up again with a hard right to the heart. Loring gasped and
tried to clinch. But Roger threw a straight jolting right to his jaw.
The prisoner slumped to the floor, out cold. The fight was finished.

Roger went over, picked up the paralo-ray gun, and opened the cell door
again.

"All right, Mason," he said coldly, "drag him inside. And if you want to
try me for size, just say so."

Mason didn't answer. He merely hurried out, and grabbing Loring by the
feet, dragged him inside. Roger slammed the door and locked it.

[Illustration]

Rubbing his knuckles and feeling better than he had felt for days, he
started back to the radar bridge. As he neared Major Connel's quarters,
he heard Connel's voice. He stopped and listened outside the door.

"It's a beautiful job of calculation, Tom," Connel was saying. "I don't
see how you and Higgins could have done it in so short a time. And
without an electronic computer to aid you. Beautiful job--really
excellent--but I'm afraid it's too risky."

"I've already talked to Astro and Mr. Shinny, sir," said Tom, "and
they've volunteered. I haven't spoken to Roger yet, but I'm sure he'd
be willing to try."

Roger stepped through the door.

"Whatever it is," said Roger, "I'm ready."

"Eavesdropping on your commanding officer," sai