"Carey Rockwell - Tom Corbett Space Cadet 07 - Sabotage in Space" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rockwell Carey)

"Well, if that isn't gratitude for you!" muttered Roger. "I go out and risk my
neck for my dear beloved unit mates and they stand around arguing instead of
buckling down to study."
 "This is no joke, Roger," said Tom seriously. "Now for the last time, will
you tell us how you got them?"
Roger thought a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "All right," he
said finally. "When I went down to the library to see if it was our turn for them
yet, I found that we were still twenty-seventh in line."
"Twenty-seventh?" gasped Astro.
"That's right, spaceboy!" snorted Roger. "So I tried to con that little space
doll of a librarian into moving our names up on the list, but just then an
Earthworm cadet came in with an order from Tony Richards of the Capella
unit, an order for the very spools we needed."
"You mean, you took them from an Earthworm?" queried Tom.
"Well, I didn't take them exactly," replied Roger. "I waited for him out on
the quadrangle and I told him he was wanted in the cadet dispatcher's office
right away and that I would take the spools on up to Tony."
"And you brought them here!" howled Astro.
"Yup." Roger grinned. "Do you think that squirt will know who I am? Not in
a million years. And by the time Tony and the others do find out who has
them, we'll be finished. Get it?"
"I get it, all right, you crummy little chiseler," growled Astro. "Tom, we
gotta give these back to Tony."
Tom nodded. "You're right," he said.
"Now wait a minute!" said Roger angrily. "I went to a lot of trouble to get
these things for you-"
"Look, Roger," Tom interrupted, "I would rather have one night with those
spools than a two-week leave in Atom City right now. But the Capella unit is
having a tough time making the Spring passing lists. They need those spools
more than we do."
"Yeah," said Astro. "We could probably take the tests now and pass, but
they really have to study. I'm for getting them back to the Capella unit right
now. How about you, Tom?"
The young cadet nodded and turned to Roger who stood there, frowning.
"Roger," said Tom, "both Astro and I really appreciate it. But you wouldn't
want the Capella unit to flunk out of the Academy, would you?"
Roger gnawed at his thumbnail and then looked at his two unit mates
sheepishly. "You're right, fellas," he said. "It was kind of a dirty trick. Give me
the spools. I'll take them back to Tony right now."
"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Astro. "It's after hours. We're not supposed to
be out of the dorm."
For a second the three boys looked at each other hesitantly. Then, as
though they had telepathically conveyed their individual decisions to each
other, they turned toward the door. Tom opened it and stepped out into the
hall cautiously, then turned back and nodded. Roger and Astro followed him
quickly.
As Roger closed the door behind him, he murmured, "There's no reason
for all of us to go. I was the one who took the spools, so I should bring them
back. Why should you two guys risk getting caught?"
Astro punched him in the shoulder fondly. "We always work together,