the
Solar Guard in the same tone he used on a green Earthworm. It was legend
around the Academy that once, believing he was right, he had broken into
the Council Chamber itself to argue his point. He won by a unanimous
decision. Nothing, but nothing, had been devised or thought of that
could stop "Blast-off" Connel. Every waking moment of his adult life had
been spent in the pursuit of more and more knowledge about space, space
travel, and life on the other planets.

Now, his wrath at fever pitch at their being tardy, he stood in front of
the cadets, turning his anger on Roger first.

"Your name's Manning, isn't it?" he growled.

"Yes, sir!" replied Roger.

"Father got a medal--used to be a Solar Guard officer?"

"That's right, sir. He was killed in space."

"I know. He was a good man. _You'll_ never be the man he was, if you
live ten thousand years. But if you don't _try_ to be a better man than
he was, you won't live five minutes with me! Is that clear, Cadet
Manning?"

"Very clear, sir!" gulped Roger.

Connel turned to Astro.

"And you're the home-grown atomic-rocket genius, Venusian style, eh?"

"Yes, sir," choked Astro. "I'm from Venus."

"Bucked rockets on the old chemical burners as a kid before entering the
Academy, eh?" asked Connel. There was less than an inch and a half
between Astro's face and Major Connel's jaw.

"Yes, sir," answered Astro, "I was an enlisted man before coming to the
Academy."

"Well, get this, you rocket buster," roared Connel. "I want a power deck
that will give me what I want, when I want it, or you'll be back in the
ranks again. Is that clear, Cadet Astro?"

"Yes, sir! Everything she's got, when you want it, sir."

"And I like to have a power deck clean enough to eat off the deck
plates!"

"Yes, sir," stuttered Astro, growing more and more confused. "You like
to eat off the deck plates, sir!"

"_By the craters of Luna, no!_ I don't like to eat off the deck plates,
_but I want them clean enough to eat there if I want to!_"

"Yes, sir!" Astro's voice was hardly above a whisper.

"And you're the tactical wizard that won the space maneuvers recently,
singlehanded, eh?" asked Connel, bending down to face Tom.

"Our side won, sir. If that answers your question," replied Tom. He was
as nervous as Roger and Astro, but he fought for control. He was
determined not to be bullied.

"I didn't ask you who won!" snapped Connel. "But you're the one just the
same. Control-dec