"Yes, sir," said Tom, "but--"

"No _buts_, Corbett," said Hardy, still smiling. "This is a great
undertaking and we need the co-operation of every member of the
expedition. In a few days we'll be arriving at Roald and the strain of
this long trip will be over. Mr. Vidac is a capable man and I trust him
implicitly, no matter how strange his methods may appear. I urge you to
bury any differences you might have with him and work for the success of
the colony. Now what do you say?"

Tom glanced at his two unit mates. Roger shuffled his feet and looked
down at the deck, while Astro studied the bulkhead behind the governor's
desk. "If that's the way you want it, sir," said Tom, "then I guess
we'll have to play along."

"I guess you will," said Hardy, a slight edge creeping into his voice.
"And if you tell me any more wild, unsubstantiated stories such as Vidac
sending you to scout an unknown asteroid cluster in a poorly equipped
rocket scout--well, I'll have to take stronger measures to ensure your
co-operation. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," chorused the cadets. They saluted and left the room.

"Well," said Tom, when they had reached the safety of their quarters, "I
guess that just about does it."

"Yeah. We played our last card," grumbled Roger. "Either Hardy is the
smoothest crook in the world, or Vidac really has him space happy."

"I wouldn't bet that it isn't a little bit of both," commented Astro.