"See you on Titan, sir," said Tom. "End transmission."
Strong then spoke to Kit Barnard on the Good Company, but did not get a chance to speak to Astro. "He's down on the power deck, Steve," reported Kit. "He's watching that reactor as if it were a treasure chest."
"To him it is," said Strong. "Good luck, Kit."
"Incidentally," said Kit before signing off, "I heard that crack Wild Bill made about a steak. Better put my name on it!"
Strong then contacted Quent Miles' vessel. "Is Manning there, Miles?"
"Yeah, he's here. Dead asleep!" growled Miles. "I thought you said he was going to be a help."
Strong's face grew red. "Well, wake him up," he snapped.
"You come wake him up," said Miles, and then the speaker went dead.
"Control tower to Space Knight!" Strong called angrily. "Come in, Miles. Control tower to Space Knight!"
"Yeah. What do you want?" growled Miles over the vast distance of space that already separated the two men and that each second took them thousands of miles farther apart.