"Right here."
They were stepping off the ramp below the ship when a man loomed up out of the shadows. It was a miner Tom had never seen before. Johnny nodded as he approached. "Any news, Jack?"
"Quiet as a church," the man said.
"We'll be held up another eight hours at least," Johnny said. "Don't go to sleep on us, Jack."
"Don't worry about us sleepin'," the man said grimly. "There's been nobody around but yourselves, so far ... except the clearance inspector."
Johnny looked up sharply. "You check his papers?"
"And his prints. He was all right."
Johnny took Tom's arm, and they headed through the gate toward the control tower. "I guess I'm just naturally suspicious," he grinned, "but I'd sure hate to have a broken cut-off switch, or a fuel valve go out of whack at just the wrong moment."
"You think Tawney would dare to try something here?" Tom said.
"Never hurts to check. We've got our hands full for a few hours getting set, so I just asked my friends to keep an eye on things. Always did say that a man who's going to gamble is smart to cover his bets."