"Ganymede!" Tom repeated in bewilderment. It was beyond belief. The
_Polaris_, using hyperdrive, could scarcely have made the flight any
faster. Tom felt his heart sinking. The hope that Kit Barnard could
catch the black _Space Knight_ was faint now.

"Shall I call Ganymede again and see if they have anything new?" Tom
asked finally.

"Yes, do that, Tom," Kit replied.

The curly-haired cadet quickly climbed the ladder to the radar bridge
and sat wearily in front of the teleceiver.

"Spaceship _Good Company_ to Ganymede spaceport," he called. "Come in,
Ganymede."

Seconds later, the voice of the Ganymede control operator crackled over
the loud-speaker in reply. "Ganymede station to _Good Company_. Go
ahead."

"Can you give me any information on the departure time of _Space Knight_
from Ganymede?"

"She has not blasted off yet. She is having trouble in her after
burners."

"How long do you estimate it will take for her to effect repairs and
blast off?" asked Tom, a note of rising hope in his voice. While the
black ship had made it to Ganymede under full power without refueling,
the strain might have damaged her seriously. Tom waited patiently for