19. A NEW LIFE
“Ben!” Garry exclaimed jubilantly, rushing into the main part of the ship. “Is it really you?”
“I’m not a ghost,” Ben said with a grin, “if that’s what you mean.”
“How did you ever do it?” Patch asked, amazement written all over his chubby features. “I mean crash-land the Carefree.”
“First tell me how the others are,” Ben asked anxiously.
Garry told him that they were all right, at least for the time being.
Ben was limping as he moved about. Patch asked about this, and Ben said it would come out in his story. The boys had entered into the central tunnel of the Carefree, with its webbing network, and Garry noticed that Ben had laid down metallic sheets over the webbing so that it could be more easily stood upon.
Ben sat down on this and began his story.
“I had made plans to remain aboard the Carefree before we even started working on the flier. When I found that the space taxi would hold only seven passengers safely, I knew someone had to stay behind. I was afraid the captain would realize that the flier would be overcrowded, but I guess he was too busy thinking about other things. The likely one to bow out was myself, because I felt that quite possibly I might be able to bring the Carefree down in one piece. I knew this region of Hornfield was full of huge dust pits that could cushion the fall of a ship if she belly-landed in one of them just right. But don’t think I wasn’t scared even thinking of trying such a thing! Don’t get me wrong, fellows—I wasn’t out to make a hero of myself!”
“You must have had some control over the ship,” Garry said, “otherwise she would have crashed headlong onto the moon.”