in front of him. "These are reactor-unit specifications submitted by the
pilots and crew chiefs of the ships to be flown in the time trials. I've
just had to reject Kit Barnard's specifications."

"What was the matter?" asked Astro.

"Not enough safety allowance. He's running too close to the danger point
in feeding reactant to the chambers, using D-18 rate of feed and D-9 is
standard."

"What about the other ships, sir?" asked Tom. "Do they all have safety
factors?"

Strong shrugged his shoulders. "They all specify standard reaction rates
without actually using figures," he said. "But I'm certain that their
feeders are being tuned up for maximum output. That's where your job is
going to come in. You've got to inspect the ships to make sure they're
safe."

"Then Kit Barnard put down his specifications, _knowing_ that there was
a chance they wouldn't pass," Tom remarked.

Strong nodded. "He's an honest man."

The door opened and several men stepped inside. They were dressed in the
mode of merchant space officers, wearing high-peaked hats, trim jackets,
and trousers of a different color. Strong stood up to greet them.

"Welcome, gentlemen. Please be seated. We will begin the meeting as soon
as all the pilots are here."