Toby helped the bruised and shaken Shepards into space suits and got them outside. He felt pretty badly mauled himself and thought he’d keel over at any moment as he saw the eternal stars of the Lunar sky grow dim before his eyes. Then someone gave him a supporting arm into the waiting room of the spaceport.
It was some time before Toby felt like himself. He found that he and the Shepards, coming to full consciousness themselves, were surrounded by people.
“I’ve been in the space service a long time,” Toby heard someone say, “but that was the slickest landing I’ve ever seen! That young fellow must have superman nerves to do what he did!”
Toby never saw so many grinning faces watching him or so many hands clapping him on the shoulder.
“It was certainly a show of calm judgment and expertness, Workman,” a man in uniform said and stuck out a big palm to him. Toby took it, blinking incredulously, for he faced none other than Commander Jameson, the chief on Luna.
“I thought you’d like to know,” the commander went on, “that I just now got a message from Lieutenant Cameron reporting that, upon re-examination, they found a defective valve that could conceivably have caused your accident last week. After your showing on this landing, I’m sure they’ll agree it wasn’t a case of incompetence.”
“Thank you, sir,” Toby mumbled, bewildered by this sudden reversal of fortune.
“You’ve convinced another person, Toby,” the boy heard beside him and saw a haggard, rarely smiling Dr. Shepard. “I guess I’ve misjudged you young people. It seems you can handle ships with the best of them!”
Toby looked past the doctor and saw Deb regarding him with quiet admiration. Her wordless compliment was the most appreciated of them all. Who could say but that her lone faith had kept him going in that dark moment when he had been ready to give up?
