The ship's loudspeakers were carrying the message all through the big hull, and even down into the base of the tunnel where the spiral stair of alloy had now been carried to the spot of the cave-in, and Second Mate Wayland was superintending the job of fusing some of the debris into place to strengthen and lengthen the cylinder. Coming down the corridor toward the mess room, Adam almost ran into Paulette. She took his hand impulsively. "I'm so glad for you, Adam," she said. "You wanted this expedition to succeed so much, and you've worked so hard on it." He smiled wryly. "Lot of good it'll do me now. The captain's going to turn in an unfavorable report and he's even now threatening to demote me to the engine room." The girl's eyes flashed. "Never mind. You forget that I'm the power of the press. When Paulette de Vries, the radio gal, lets go, Captain Walter McCausland is going to be good and sorry for some of the things he's done." Adam stopped and stared at her in amazement. "Why, I thought you were going to marry him!" "Him! I wouldn't marry him if he were the last man on--on Pluto." She gave a laugh that was half a sob. "Then--then, there's a chance--" "Sssh. Here we are." The scientific staff, Dr. Perkins, Professor Reuter, three assistants, the medical staff and a geographer, were at the front of the room, with the second and third mates, and the other officers of the expedition, Captain McCausland in their midst. As Adam and Paulette, the last to enter, came in, McCausland glanced at them sharply under lowered brows. Adam realized suddenly that he was holding the girl's hand and dropped it; someone laughed, and McCausland's hard, thin face was etched in a sneer. "Miss de Vries," he said. "I called the entire staff together to listen to this report on the sample of metal brought from below, because it is very important. Would you be good enough to open your key and make a record of this report?" The girl obediently snapped the switch on the device that hung at her chest, and spoke briefly into it. "Hello, Earth! Paulette speaking. We are about to hear the report on the metal found in the digging on Pluto. Dr. Perkins, our chemist, will speak first...." Perkins' report was brief. "I have made spectroscopic tests on the metal brought from the digging, and which is used by the inhabitants of the interior of Pluto. It registers as certainly beryllium." * * * * * Paulette was about to speak again, when McCausland held up his hand. "I would like to hear from Professor Reuter," he said. "He conducted the chemical and physical analyses of the metal after Dr. Perkins had finished his spectroscopic tests."