"Very well, sir," replied Tom. He turned from the teleceiver and climbed up to the radar deck.
"Well, hot-shot," said Roger, "looks like you've made yourself a hero this trip."
"What do you mean by that, Roger?"
"First, you run off with top honors on the space maneuvers, and now you save the ship and have Strong eating out of your hand!"
"That's not very funny, Roger," said Tom.
"I think it is," drawled Roger.
Tom studied the blond cadet for a moment.
"What's eating you, Roger? Since the day you came into the Academy, you've acted like you hated every minute of it. And yet, on the other hand, I've seen you act like it was the most important thing in your life. Why?"
"I told you once, Corbett," said Roger with the sneering air which Tom knew he used when he was on the defensive, "that I had my own special reasons for being here. I'm not a hero, Corbett! Never was and never will be. You're strictly the hero type. Tried and true, a thousand just like you all through the Academy and the Solar Guard. Strong is a hero type!"
"Then what about Al James?" asked Tom. "What about that time in Atom City when you defended the Academy?"