"That's it, spaceman!" said Strong. When the man didn't move right
away, Walters and Strong looked at him. "Well, what is it?"

"Excuse me, sir," said the guardsman, a bright-faced youngster who had
failed to pass the rigid requirements for cadet training and so had
entered the enlisted Solar Guard. "I heard what Captain Miles said about
Cadet Manning being asleep and--" He hesitated.

"Well, what about it?" prompted Walters.

"Well, sir, I don't know if it means anything or not," replied the boy
nervously. "But just before the ship blasted off, I saw Cadet Manning
standing inside the air lock. He looked as if he wanted to get out. But
you were counting the blast-off time, sir. And he disappeared a few
seconds before you hit zero."

Strong looked at Walters. "Are you sure?" he asked the boy.

"I'm positive, sir. I know Cadet Manning well, and he looked as though
he was scared."

Strong clenched his fists. "Asleep, huh?" he growled. "Get me the _Space
Knight_!"

The boy returned to the audioceiver and began calling Miles, but there
was no reply. After a few minutes Walters interrupted, "We can't waste
any more time here, Steve. We've got to blast off!"

"Get hold of Corbett on the _Space Lance_," said Strong to the spaceman.
"Tell him I said to get in touch with Manning on the _Space Knight_. Ask