Part 7 (1/2)
”Wouldn't you know,” moaned Roger, ”that s.p.a.ce creep had to show up just when I had the whole campaign laid out in my mind.” He gazed sadly at the pert heads of the girls in front of him.
Tom gave Astro a wink. ”Poor Manning. All set to go hyperdrive and ran into s.p.a.ce junk before he cleared atmosphere.”
Suddenly another explosion racked the s.h.i.+p and the rockets cut out all together. The pa.s.sengers began to look around nervously.
”By the craters of Luna, what was _that_?” demanded Tom, looking at Astro.
”The rockets have cut out,” answered the Venusian. ”Hope we're out in free fall, beyond the pull of Venus' gravity.”
The forward hatch of the pa.s.senger cabin opened and Simms reappeared followed by Wallace.
”Take it easy, folks,” said Wallace, ”nothing to get excited about.
We're in free fall, holding a course around the planet. So just sit back and enjoy the view!”
A chorus of sighs filled the cabin and the pa.s.sengers began laughing and chatting again, pointing out various sights on the planet below them.
Smiling, Wallace and Simms marched down the aisle. Suddenly Roger and Tom rose and blocked their path.
”What's up, Wallace?” demanded Tom.
Wallace gave the two boys a hard look. ”So it's you, huh? You got a lot of nerve coming aboard this s.h.i.+p.”
”If there's something wrong, Wallace,” said Tom, ”maybe we could give you a hand.”
”Get back in your seats,” ordered Wallace. ”We don't need any cadet squirts getting in our way!”
”Why, you overweight s.p.a.ce jockey,” snapped Roger, ”we know more about s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps than you'll ever learn!”
”One more crack out of you and I'll blast your ears off!” roared Wallace. _”Now sit down!”_
Roger's face turned a deep red and he moved toward Wallace, but Tom put out a restraining hand.
”Take it easy, Roger,” he said. ”Wallace is the skipper of this boiler.
In s.p.a.ce he's the boss.”
”You bet I'm the boss,” snarled Wallace. ”Now keep that loud-mouthed punk quiet, or I'll wipe up the deck with him and send the pieces back to s.p.a.ce Academy!”
”Hey, Wallace,” yelled Simms, who had walked away when the argument started. ”Come on. We gotta fix that reactor unit!”
”Yeah--yeah,” Wallace called back. He turned to Roger again. ”Just remember what I said, cadet!” Brus.h.i.+ng the boys aside, he strode down the aisle to join Simms.
As the two men disappeared through the power-deck hatch, Tom turned to Roger and tried to calm him down. ”Skippers are skippers, Roger, even aboard a piece of s.p.a.ce junk!”
”Yeah,” growled Roger, ”but I don't like to be called a squirt or a punk! Why, I know more about reactor units than--”
”Reactor units?” broke in Astro from his seat.
”Yeah. Didn't you hear what Simms said?”