special teleceiver and audioceiver circuits open to you, numbers
seventeen and eighty-three. You are to circle each fueling stop three
times before making a touchdown, and make a final circle around Titan
when you arrive.

"Stand by to raise ship! And spaceman's luck!"

Strong turned and flipped on the intercom to the control tower. "All
ready up there?" he called.

"All set, sir," replied the enlisted spaceman.

"All right, give them their orbits and blast-off time."

There was a slight pause, and then the gruff voice of the tower operator
was heard over the loud-speakers and in the ships. "All ships will blast
off on orbit forty-one ... raise ship at 18:51:35 ... stand by!"

There was a tense moment of silence while the seconds on the red hand of
the astral chronometer slipped around the dial. Out on the field, the
three ships were pointed toward the darkening afternoon skies. The first
ship, nearest the tower, was Wild Bill Sticoon's ship, the _Space
Lance_, painted a gleaming white. Strong could see Tom sitting beside
the viewport, and across the distance that separated them, the Solar
Guard officer could see the curly-haired cadet wave. He returned the
greeting.

Next was the black ship with the red markings that had aroused so much
comment. Strong searched the viewports for a sight of Roger but could
not see him. Finally he looked over at Kit Barnard's red-painted _Good