s," said Connel, "our mission is a complete success. I've
finished making out a report to Space Academy, and everything's fine.
Incidentally, Manning," he continued, "if you're worried about having
broken your word when you escaped from the space station, forget it. You
more than made up for it by your work in helping us get Loring and
Mason."

Roger smiled gratefully and gulped, "Thank you, sir."

Loring and Mason, who had eaten their meal separately from the others,
listened silently. Loring got up and faced them. The room became silent.

Loring flushed.

[Illustration: _"I know we're going to be sent to the prison asteroid
and we deserve it," said Loring._]

"I'd like to say something," he began haltingly, "if I can?"

"Go ahead," said Connel.

"Well," said Loring, "it's hard to say this, but Mason and myself,
well--" He paused. "I don't know what happened to us on the first trip
out here, Major, but when we saw that satellite, and the copper,
something just went wrong inside. One thing led to another, and before
we knew it, we were in so deep we couldn't get out."

The faces around the table were stony, expressionless.

"Nobody deserves less consideration than me and Mason. And--well, you
know yourself, sir, that we were pretty good spacemen at one time. You
picked us for the first trip out to Tara with you."

Connel nodded.

"And well, sir, the main thing is about Jardine and Bangs. I know we're
going to be sent to the prison asteroid and we deserve it. But we been
thinking, sir, about Jardine's and Bang's wives and kids. They musta
lost everything in that crash of the _Annie Jones_, so if the major
would recommend that Mason and me be sent to the Titan mines, instead of
the rock, we could send our credits back to help take care of the kids
and all."

No one spoke.

"That's all," said Loring. He and Mason left the room.

Connel glanced around the table. "Well?" he asked. "This is your first
struggle with justice. Each of you, Tom, Roger, Astro, Alfie, will be
faced with this sort of thing during your careers as spacemen. What
would you do?"

The four cadets looked at each other, each wondering what the other
would say. Finally Connel turned to Alfie.

"You're first, Alfie," said Connel.

"I'd send them to the mines, sir," said Alfie.

Connel's face was impressive. "Roger?"

"Same here, sir," replied Roger.

"Astro?" asked Connel.

"I'd do anything to help the kids, sir," said Astro, an o