"That's a lie!" shouted Roger. "We were alone!"

Vidac merely looked at Roger and then turned back to Winters. "Then what
happened?"

"Well," said Winters, "they got into an argument, the cadets and Sykes.
It was about the movement of a captive planet, or something like that.
Anyway, there was a scuffle, and all of a sudden the big cadet"--he
indicated Astro--"picked up the professor and carried him out of the
galley. The other two followed."

"Didn't the professor put up a fight?" asked Vidac.

"Oh, yes, sir," said Winters. "But he didn't have a chance against the
three cadets."

"Why didn't you do something about it?" Governor Hardy suddenly broke
in.

"I tried, sir," replied Winters calmly. "I ran after them, but they all
piled into a converted jet boat and blasted out of there."

"Then what did you do?" asked Vidac.

"That's when I came to get you, sir," said Winters. "And we started
looking for them." Winters paused. "Ah--pardon me, sir, but can I go
now? I've been up all night and I'm pretty tired."

Vidac nodded and Winters left the room.