"I guess so. Bringing in the Astarte, a hundred and eight years overdue, was something-even if we had dragged it in on wheels it still would be something. I won't start calling you 'Lieutenant' just yet, but-he might commission us."
"Keep your fingers crossed. How do I look?"
"You aren't pretty, but you look nineteen times better than you did when we grounded at South Pole. Better get moving."
"Right." Tex left and Matt waited nervously. Presently the call he expected came in, telling him, too, to report to the Commandant.
He found that Tex was still inside. Rather than fidget under the eyes of others in the Commandant's outer office, he chose to wait in the passageway. After a while, Tex came out. Matt went up to him eagerly. "How about it?"
Tex gave him an odd look. "Just go on in."
"You can't talk?"
"We'll talk later. Go on in."
"Cadet Dodson!" someone called from the outer office.
"On deck," he called back. A couple of moments later he was in the presence of the Commandant.