nk of a
single reg he had broken--yet why else would he be called before Admiral
Rogers, the dread Commandant of Cadets?

In spite of his utmost efforts to stand eye to eye with the commandant,
Hanlon couldn't keep his gaze steadily on that feared visage. His eyes
insisted on straying, time after time, although he always forced them
back. He caught glimpses of the dozens of communicator studs and plates
on the huge metal desk. He saw the bit of scenery showing through the
window. He noted the pictures of great Corps heroes that adorned the
walls. In fact, he had to look at anything except those boring,
impassive eyes fixed so steadily on his own face. If only he could gain
such perfect control of his nerves. If only he knew what this was all
about!

By the big wall chronom he saw he had already been standing there at
rigid attention a full five minutes. The second hand crept around again.
Six minutes! It dragged slowly around once again. Seven minutes.

Then the unbearable silence was mercifully broken by the admiral's
voice.

"In some ways, Mister, you're quite a stupid young man," he said. "I'm
inclined to be disappointed in you."

Hanlon gave a start of surprise, and forced himself to scrutinize more
carefully that enigmatic face.

"What ... what do you mean, sir?"

The stern eyes were still boring into his. But now the cadet thought he
could detect a trace of secret amusement behind them.

"Why do you torture yourself like this? You know how to find out what
it's all about."

There was a sinking feeling in George Hanlon's mind. Did that mean what
he was afraid it meant?

He sent out a tentative feeler of thought toward the mind behind that
expressionless face. He expected to find it difficult to do, because of
long disuse of the faculty. But he was amazed both at the ease with
which the technique returned to him, and with the feeling of warm
friendliness he found in that mind--almost like a sort of fatherly
pride.

He probed a bit deeper, and was aware of assurance that he had done
nothing to merit punishment. Indeed, it seemed he could catch exactly
the opposite feeling.

He must have shown his relief, for the commandant's stern face relaxed
into a broad smile, and he lounged back in his big chair.

"That's better. At ease, and sit down."

Slowly, disbelieving the sudden change, the astonished young cadet
gingerly sank onto the front edge of a chair. He had to, his legs were
suddenly rubbery.