"If we only had our transmitter," Captain Torkel mused, "we could stay here. We wouldn't have to—"
"Damn him," interrupted the lieutenant, opening his eyes and clenching his fists. "Damn him!"
"Kelly?"
"Kelly. Why did he do it, Captain? Why did he throw every piece of transmitting equipment over-board?"
"Maybe a part of his mind hated Earth. Maybe unconsciously he didn't want to save humanity. Kelly's crazy. You can't account for the actions of a crazy man."
Lieutenant Washington was shaking again. "And so we can't radio Earth about what we find. If the planet's good, we have to tell Earth the hard way—by traveling through space for six more years. Captain, I—I think I'm going to have to get a dr—"
Footsteps sounded on the deck behind them. Van Gundy, the lean, hawk-nosed jetman, rushed up to them. He was breathing heavily and trembling.
"Captain, Fox stole my harmonica!"
Captain Torkel scowled. For a moment he forgot Van Gundy's name and who the lean man was. Then he remembered.
"Stole your harmonica. Why?"