"But watch your step with him, Kit. Personally, I wouldn't trust that
spaceman as far as I could throw an asteroid."

Kit grinned. "Thanks--and good luck."

"I'll need it if you get that reactor of yours working," said the
Martian.

He turned and left the stand without a word to Tom, Roger, or Astro. The
three cadets looked at each other, feeling the tension in the air
suddenly relax. Strong was busy talking to someone on the portable
intercom and had missed the byplay between the three finalists.

"That Quent sure has a talent for making himself disliked," Tom
commented to his unit mates.

"And all he's going to get for it is trouble," quipped Sid, who would
not let any argument take away the pleasure he felt over winning the
trials. "I'm going back to our ship and find out what happened to those
feeders."

"I'll come with you," volunteered Astro.

"Just a minute, Astro," interrupted Strong. "I've been talking with
Commander Walters. He's on his way back to the Tower of Galileo and
called me from the portable communicator on the main slidewalk. He wants
me to report to his office on the double. You three will have to take
care of the final details here."

"Come down when you can," said Sid to Astro, and turned to leave with