Part 23 (1/2)

”We've searched the immediate area, sir,” replied the guardsman. ”Cadet Corbett isn't here.”

”Are you sure?” demanded Strong.

”Yes, sir,” said the guardsman stoutly.

Strong took the uniform and examined it carefully. Then he turned to Roger and snapped, ”Prepare the audioceiver for immediate transmission to s.p.a.ce Academy, Manning. Astro! Get aboard our s.h.i.+p. Check her for damage and let me know how soon we can blast off!”

The two cadets saluted and raced for the small s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p.

Thoughtfully holding Tom's uniform in his hand, Strong turned back to Williams. ”I'm going to leave as soon as I can, Williams. I'll tell s.p.a.ce Academy about the attack and see that a relief s.h.i.+p is sent out to you right away. Meantime, I'm leaving you in command.” He paused and looked at Tom's uniform again. ”If Cadet Corbett isn't on the asteroid, he must be on the attacking s.h.i.+p with the prisoners. The only question now is, do they know it?”

”You mean he smuggled himself aboard?” asked Williams.

”I'm almost sure of it!” said Strong. ”And if he _is_, he's going to try to get some sort of message out. I've got to be ready to pick it up.”

Strong paused and looked up at the sky overhead, still thick with smoke.

”And if he does ask for help, I'm going to answer him with the biggest fleet of s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps he'll ever see in his life!”

CHAPTER 12

”Stand by, you s.p.a.ce crawlers!” roared Bull c.o.xine into the microphone, but the loud laughter and singing of the noisily celebrating prisoners continued unabated over the intercom's loud-speakers. ”Avast there!” he bellowed again. ”Stow that noise! Attention! And I want _attention_!”

Standing on the control deck of his s.h.i.+p, c.o.xine waited as the men gradually quieted down. No longer wearing the white prison coverall, he was dressed in a black merchant s.p.a.ceman's uniform, the snug-fitting jacket and trousers stretching tightly across his huge shoulders. He wore a black s.p.a.ceman's cap, and two paralo-ray pistol belts were crisscrossed over his hips.

”Now listen to me!” he roared again. ”Let's get one thing straight! I'm the skipper of this s.h.i.+p and the first man that thinks he's smarter than me, let him speak up!”

There was a long pause and the big man added with an ominous whisper, ”But I warn you, if one of you opens your mouth, you'll take a swim in s.p.a.ce!”

There was an angry murmur among the prisoners that c.o.xine heard over the intercom. ”Don't think I can't take care of you, the lot of you, one by one or all at once. I cut my milk teeth on mutiny. I know how to start one and I know how to finish one! I needed a crew and that's the only reason you're here! Any s.p.a.ceman that doesn't like the way I run things aboard this s.h.i.+p, better keep it to himself, or start swimming back to the prison asteroid!” He paused. ”Well? Are you all with me?”

There was a chorus of cheers on the intercom and c.o.xine nodded grimly.

”All right,” he continued, ”now that we understand each other, I'll get on with the business. Second-in-command to me will be Gus Wallace.

_Lieutenant_ Wallace!”

A roar of approval came over the loud-speaker.

”Third-in-command--Luther Simms! _Lieutenant_ Simms!”

There was another roar of approval as the prisoners recognized the names of the men who had liberated them from the asteroid.

”Now, we'll handle this s.h.i.+p as if it were any other freighter. The following men will be in charge of departments!”

As c.o.xine read off the list of jobs and the men to handle them, there were yells of approval and disapproval for favorites and old enemies.

When the list of names had been read, he turned away from the intercom and faced his lieutenants, Wallace and Simms.

”Well, skipper,” boasted Wallace, ”it looks like we're in business again!”