"We won't always be out of range." ;
"It won't make any difference. Can you see the Old Man letting me-or any of us-do anything without staring down the backs of our necks? Anyhow, I don't want a brevet. Suppose we got back and it wasn't confirmed? Embarrassing!"
"I'd jump at the chance," announced Tex. "It may be the only way I'll ever get one."
"Drop the orphan-child act,- Tex. Suppose your Uncle Bodie heard you talking like that." j'
In fact, the atmosphere in the ship was very different,] even though the Captain, or Lieutenant Thurlow, or both, supervised them very carefully. Captain Yancey took toil calling them by their first names at mess and dropped the use of "cadet" entirely. He sometimes referred to the "ship's officers," using the term so that it plainly included the three cadets. But there was no suggestion of brevet rank made.
Out of the asteroid belt, out of radio range, and in interminable free fall, the ship's duties were light. The cadets had plenty of time to study, enough time for card games and bull sessions. Matt caught up with his assignments and reached the point where he was digging into the ship's library for advanced work, for the courses outlined for them when they left the Randolph had been intended for a short cruise.
The Captain set up a seminar series, partly to pass his own time and partly as a supplement to their education. It was supposed to illustrate various problems faced by a Patrol officer as a spaceman, or in his more serious role as a diplomatic representative. Yancey lectured well; the cadets found, too, that he could be drawn into reminiscence. It was both enjoyable and instructive and helped! to pass the weary weeks. |
At long, long last they were within radio range of Venus] -and there was mail for all of them, messages that had been chasing them half around the Solar System. An official despatch from the Department congratulated the Commanding Officer on the recovery of the Pathfinder and commended the ship's company-this was entered, in due course, in the record of each. A private message from Hartley Miller told Captain Yancey that the trip home had been okay and that the longhairs were tearing same over the contents of the ship. Yancey read this aloud to them.
In addition to letters from home, Matt received a wedding announcement from Marianne. He wondered if she had married the young man he had met at the picnic, but he could not be sure of the name-the whole thing seemed very remote. There was a letter, too, to all three cadets date-marked "Leda, Ganymede" from Pete, of the having-a-won-derful-time-wish-you-were-here sort. "Lucky stiff!" said Tex.
" Touring the world'-phooey!"