Walters paused before answering. He glanced at Strong and then back at Connel. "What about yourself?"
"Me?"
"Why not?" continued Walters. "You know as much about Venus as anyone, and you have a lot of friends there you can trust. Nose around a while, see what you can learn, unofficially."
"But what about my work on the spectrum recorder?" asked Connel.
"That!" snorted Sykes derisively. "Huh, that can be completed any time you want to listen to some plain facts about—"
"I'll never listen to anything you have to say, you dried-up old neutron chaser!" blasted Connel.
"Of course not," cackled Sykes. "And it's the same bullheaded stubbornness that'll keep you from finishing that recorder."
"I'm sorry, gentlemen," said Walters firmly. "I cannot allow personal discussions to interfere with the problem at hand. How about it, Connel? Will you go to Venus?"
Lou Connel was the oldest line officer in the Solar Guard, having recommended the slightly younger Walters for the post of commandant of Space Academy and the Solar Guard so that he himself could escape a desk job and continue blasting through space where he had devoted his entire life. While Walters had the authority to order him to accept the assignment, Connel knew that if he begged off because of his work on the recorder, Walters would understand and offer the assignment to Strong. He paused and then growled, "When do I blast off?"
Walters smiled and answered, "As soon as we contact Venus headquarters and tell them to expect you."