"Carey Rockwell - Tom Corbett Space Cadet 06 - Treachery in Outer Space" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rockwell Carey)

with a book full of demerits! What in blazes are you doing here, anyway? You're supposed to
be at physical exams right this minute!"
The three boys began to shake visibly, not knowing whether to break ranks and run or
wait until ordered.
"Get out of here!" Connel roared. "You've got thirty seconds to make it. And if you don't
make it, you'll go down on my bad-rocket list!"
Almost in one motion, the three cadet candidates saluted and charged through the door.
When they had gone, Connel turned to the Polaris cadets who were still at attention. "At
ease!" he roared and then grinned.
The boys came to rest and smiled back at him tentatively. They never knew what to
expect from Connel. "Well, did you put them through their paces?" he asked as he jerked his
thumb toward the door.
"Yes, sir!" said Tom.
"Did they know their manual? Or give you any lip when you started giving them hot
rockets?" Connel referred to the hazing that was allowed by the Academy, only as another of
the multitude of tests given to cadets. Cadet candidates might possibly hide dangerous
flaws from Academy officials but never from boys near their own ages.
"Major," said Astro, "those fellows came close to blasting off right here in these chairs.
They really thought they were out in space!"
"Fine!" said Connel. "Glad to hear it. I've singled them out as my personal unit for
instruction."
"Poor fellows," muttered Roger under his breath.
"What was that, Manning?" bellowed Connel.
"I said lucky fellows, sir," replied Roger innocently.
Connel glared at him. "I'll bet my last rocket that's what you said, Manning."
"Yes, sir."
Connel turned to the door and then spun around quickly to catch Roger grinning at
Astro.
" 'Poor fellows,' wasn't it?" said Connel with a grin.
Roger reddened and his unit mates laughed. "Oh, yes," continued Connel, "I almost
forgot. Report to Commander Walters on the double. You're getting special assignments. I
recommended you for this job, so see that you behave yourselves. Especially you,
Manning."
He turned and disappeared through the doorway, leaving the three cadets staring at
each other.
"Wowie!" yelled Astro. "And I thought we were going to get chewed up for keeping
those Earthworms too long!"
"Same here," said Roger.
"Wonder what the assignment is?" said Tom, grabbing his tunic and racing for the door.
Neither Roger nor Astro answered as they followed on his heels. When they reached the
slidestairs, a moving belt of plastic that spiraled upward to an overhead slidewalk bridge
connecting the dormitory to the Tower of Galileo, Tom's eyes were bright and shiny.
"Whatever it is," he said, "if Major Connel suggested us for it, you can bet your last reactor
it'll be a rocket buster."
As the boys stepped on the slidestairs that would take them to Commander Walters'
office, each of them was very much aware that this was the first step to a new adventure in
space. And though the three realized that they could expect danger, the special assignment
meant that they were going to hit the high, wide, and deep again. And that was all they
asked of life. To be in space, a spaceman's only real home!