Walters nodded. "Good idea. Jeff can take care of any lab tests we may have to make and also knows how to handle men. As a matter of fact," Walters continued, "if Jeff does well on this assignment I might put him up for a commission in the Solar Guard. He did well on that last trip into deep space during that trouble on Roald."
"Yes, sir," said Strong. "And I'll gladly endorse it."
"Is that all, sir?" asked the enlisted man.
"That's it, spaceman!" said Strong. When the man didn't move right away, Walters and Strong looked at him. "Well, what is it?"
"Excuse me, sir," said the guardsman, a bright-faced youngster who had failed to pass the rigid requirements for cadet training and so had entered the enlisted Solar Guard. "I heard what Captain Miles said about Cadet Manning being asleep and—" He hesitated.
"Well, what about it?" prompted Walters.
"Well, sir, I don't know if it means anything or not," replied the boy nervously. "But just before the ship blasted off, I saw Cadet Manning standing inside the air lock. He looked as if he wanted to get out. But you were counting the blast-off time, sir. And he disappeared a few seconds before you hit zero."
Strong looked at Walters. "Are you sure?" he asked the boy.
"I'm positive, sir. I know Cadet Manning well, and he looked as though he was scared."
Strong clenched his fists. "Asleep, huh?" he growled. "Get me the Space Knight!"