Sabotage in Space

m!

ically, praying that the boy would be miraculously unhurt, yet fear

op the truck?"

f relief. "And thank the lucky spaceman's stars that

," he said. "I guess I must have bumped my head." He look

laughed. He turned to Lieutenan

on the men who were standing outsid

tted Tom on the shoulder. "Good wor

ruggled to his feet. "Sir," he said to Connel, "I

d, "Lieutenant, come back here." The young off

self, Connel and Slick listened intently. Quietly Devers joined them. Finally, when Tom had finished, Co

had found a worn clutch plate that could have slipped and caused the tr

hen ordered, "Get t

d under guard. He was thoroughly frightened and Connel was aware of

gulped the t

wrong with your truc

the driver. "I had

right, Slick, release this man and get that fence

ck, and left the group

out the Polaris unit getting into trouble! Blast it, if they don't start it, they sure can finish it." He turned to Tom. "Son, you deserve som

Devers suddenly spoke up.

id Tom. "I could sur

an up enough to make himself presentable at the hotel. Later, as he rode along the curving canal in

ke many other planets, when first colonized by the early great conquerors of space seve

and huge cargoes of Titan crystal were shipped to Mars for modern construction. Now, as Tom Corbett rode in comfort along a speedway bordering one of the ancient canals, he approached the city with a vague feeling of awe. Gleaming towers, refl

topping the runaway truck had been announced over the stereo newscasts, and when he asked the locatio

u know?" asked

s ragged clothes, taken while he was talking to Conn

here," said the manager. "From the looks of you in

exclaimed Tom, holding u

cidentally, there is a message for you." The manager handed Tom a type

CAN WHILE YOU LEAVE THE REAL COMPETIT

AND

torn, dirty clothes, and stepped into a hot, refreshing shower. Half an

eep would not come. The incidents at the spaceport that afternoon kept flashing through his mind

ning with the landing of the Polaris and

ped out of bed, hurriedly threw on the new unifo

the corner of Lowell Lane and Builker Avenue. He hailed a passing jet cab, and cli

driver. "That whe

agon will get me t

ike a nice kid. That joint's for-for-well, it

said Tom impatiently, "is how to take care of ourselv

d. He slammed the car into motion and

d over and apologized. "I'm looking for an old friend. S

ouldn't take care of yourself. We pay taxes to teach guys like you how to

back in his seat to wa

the poorer section of the city. And with the change, Tom noticed a difference in the people who walked the streets. Here were men who wore their c

nounced, stopping in front of a sma

chairs were old and rickety. The men inside were the same as those he had seen on the street, tough-loo

ere tough-lookin

o

e a real tough fella. Then one day a fella came along that was tougher than he was and beat the exhaust out of him. Sam went to pot afte

"What happened to the fellow t

of town called Bad Richard's. But

silver cab shoot away into the darkness. Then he took a deep

uid that Tom had sipped once and vowed he would never try again. But as he looked around, he didn't think it was th

to look at the newcomer. They eyed the crisp, clean uniform na

s of dark liquid in front of Tom. "Twenty

n't give me that rocket wash

eep his reputation, Corbett," rep

of blackmail. He handed over the money and picked up the glass. He sipped it to keep up appearances but even the few drops he allowed to trickle down

ack to the serious business of drinking. Two of them drifted over close to Tom and looked him up and down. After a whi

a tall, heavy-shouldered man with a da

said Tom. "O

t about it," said the tall one. "Most squirts coming in here try to

ag!" said the ot

in here, Cadet?" ask

ng for

name? Maybe

he other. "We know just about

want to tell us,

met him today and he mentioned this place

id you s

ad made and it was a slim chance that these two men might know him. He dec

. "Little guy, with a sort of fu

Tom. "That's

Monty. "Come on outside. I'll show you where it is

d Tom. "That'

he carries a pistol all

alked to the door and

about, anyway?" asked Monty,

to him about the je

me and Cag, we could probably

m. "But I want t

b into the street. "See that light down there," he said,

d to look

g pain in the back of his head

Cag," comm

do with him?

imp form into the shadows of an alley. "I'll get in touch with the boss and tell him

Corbett's getting his nic

Tom in the dark Martian alley