The Starfrost shivered.
Wade felt his heart skip a beat. Slowly, ever so slowly, the huge ship began to move. Dust, sand and smoke mingled with the sheets of flame pouring from her stern. The platform disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The Starfrost lifted.
"Thank God!" the Secretary sighed.
"Amen." Wade muttered. He took out another cigarette. He was glad it had begun; the project. Now there was only the long wait.
"Ackerson's a brave man." The Secretary said.
"Of course he is." Wade never had any doubts about Allen's intestinal fortitude. The man had a good war record. Confidence seemed to ooze out of the man. It was his attitude, damn it.
Wade drew deeply on the cigarette. Tomer had been the same type in many ways. Eager, filled with the enthusiasm, unafraid. A small man compared to the blond Ackerson, he seemed to carry himself tall. And his attitude. He felt the same intensity about National defense as Boeman did himself. Perhaps that was another reason he had felt close to the boy. Tomer would have made this trip with no thought whatsoever about the financial rewards or what the history books would have to say about him.
"... Sixty thousand ..." someone said.
"Start communication," Wade commanded automatically.