"Carey Rockwell - Tom Corbett Space Cadet 04 - The Space Pioneers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rockwell Carey)

"Corbett!" demanded McKenny. "Are those two space crawlers still acting like monkeys
out of their cages?"
Tom laughed and shook hands with the elderly spaceman. "Yes, sir," he said. "But you
could hardly call Astro a monkey!"
"More along the lines of a Venusian gorilla, if you ask me!" snorted McKenny. The short,
squat spaceman's eyes twinkled. "I've been hearing some mighty fine things about you three
space bongos, Tommy. It's a wonder the Solar Guard didn't give you a unit citation for aiding
in the capture of Coxine, the pirate!"
"Thanks, Mike. Coming from you that compliment really means something!"
"Just be sure you keep those two space lunatics in their proper cages," said Mike,
indicating Roger and Astro, who at the moment were racing back and forth along the
slidewalk bumping passengers left and right, "and you'll all be heroes someday."
"Yes, sir," said Tom. He glanced up, and noticing that he was in front of the Tower
building, hopped to the walkway, waving a cheery good-by to Mike. "Blast over to our mess
and have dinner with us some night, Mike!" he yelled to the departing figure.
"And interrupt the happiest hours in Astro's life?" bawled Mike. "No thank you!"
Tom laughed and turned to the huge open doorway of the Tower where Roger and Astro
waited for him impatiently. In a few moments the three were being carried to the upper floors
of the crystal structure by a spiraling band of moving plastic that stretched from the top of the
Tower to the many floors below surface level. Tom glanced at his wrist chronograph as they
stepped off the slidestairs and headed for Captain Strong's quarters.
"We're about twenty minutes late," he said to Roger and Astro. "Hope Captain Strong's
in good spirits!"
"If he isn't," said Roger, "we can-"
"Don't say it," protested Astro. "I only just finished working off my last bunch of galley
demerits."
They stopped in front of a door, straightened their uniforms, and then slid the door to
one side and stepped smartly into the room. They came to rigid attention before a massive
desk, flanked by two wall windows of clear sheet crystal reaching from ceiling to floor.
Standing at the window, Captain Steve Strong, Polaris unit cadet supervisor, his broad
shoulders stretching under his black-and-gold uniform, turned to face them, his features set
in grim lines of trouble.
"Polaris unit reporting for orders, sir," said Tom. The three cadets saluted crisply.
Strong snapped a return salute and walked to the front of his desk. "Getting pretty big
for your britches, aren't you?" he growled. "I've been watching you from this window. I saw
the messenger deliver my orders to you, and then, I saw you return to your game and finish
it, apparently deciding that the business of the Solar Guard can wait!"
"But, sir-" Roger started to say.
"Close your exhaust, Manning!" snapped Strong. "I'm doing the talking!"
"Yes, sir," stammered the blond-haired cadet.
"Well, Cadets," asked Strong in a silken voice, "if I sent you to Commander Walters'
office on the double, do you think I could trust you to get there on the double?"
"Oh, yes, sir," replied Tom. "Yes, sir!" The other two boys nodded violently.
"Then blast out of here and report to Commander Walters for your assignments. Tell him
I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Yes, sir!" said Tom, and the three cadets saluted
тАЬUnit--" bawled Strong, "dis -missed!"
Outside in the hall once more, the three cadets wiped their faces.
"Captain Strong definitely was not in a good mood!" commented Roger.
"I've never seen him so angry!" said Tom. "Wonder why."