minutes. They will meet Captain Strong of the Solar Guard in the cruiser
_Orion_. Communications control will give them his position." He flipped
off the teleceiver and settled back in his chair, smiling. Nothing in
the world like a big fuss to throw a man off guard, he thought. And
Steve Strong, as the first visitor from Earth since the colony was
founded, would get a tremendous welcome!

* * * * *

" ... Are you sure?" asked Tom, his face brightening. "You heard it
yourself?"

Jeff Marshall smiled. "Roald is going crazy. They're preparing the
biggest welcome for a spaceman since Jon Builker's return from his first
trip in space!"

"Boy," said Astro, "what a break!" He slapped Roger on the back. "We'll
be out of this can an hour after Captain Strong lands!"

"I knew you wanted me to help you try to escape," said Jeff. "I had
already begun to make plans."

"No need for that now," said Tom. "If we tried to escape, we'd be doing
the very thing Vidac would want us to do. He could say it was an
admission of guilt."

Roger agreed with a nod of his head. "There's only one thing that
bothers me now."

"What's that?" asked Astro.