“If all of us go,” said little Sparky Finn, with the bristly hair, “then Kalmus will have to limit the men he wants to take. It’s a simple matter of arithmetic—seven of us and four of them.” “I’ll tell him that,” Rock agreed. “We all go or none of us goes. I’ll insist on it.” “Do you reckon we can trust Kalmus?” Ed Somerton asked. “He looks all right to me,” Shep said, “although of course you can’t trust first impressions sometimes.” “He looks all right to me too,” Rock agreed. “But just the same, while we’re waiting to get the ship outfitted, I think I’ll check his references at central identification headquarters on Earth.” Just as they were going to break up, there came a sharp rap on the dormitory door. Before the visitor could be invited in, he flung the door open and strode inside. Rock flared at this invasion of their privacy, especially when the newcomer proved to be a person disliked by all of them. He was Carl Mugger, their immediate supervisor. Behind his back he was known as “Yap” because of his shrewish tongue. “What have we got here—a tea party?” he blurted. “No, a private discussion,” Rock answered evenly, trying to control his temper. “Three of you are supposed to be on duty,” Mugger went on. “You fellows think you’re on a vacation or something?” “We were only doing routine work in the solar mirror relay.” Hugh spoke for Ed, Leo Avery, and himself, who were the three Mugger had been talking about. “We’ve only been here a few minutes.” “What do you think would happen to the station if I took off any time I wanted to?” he demanded, drawing his short body up to its full height. Getting no reply, Mugger ranted on. “I’ve stood just about all I’m going to from you guys! The next time one of you goofs off I’m going to have you sent back so fast Earthward your heads will buzz!” He glared at each of them in turn. Shep stepped forward, a full half head taller than the little man, his face reddening from the fury mounting in him. “I don’t know about the others, Mr. Mugger, but I’m fed up with this station and you too!” Mugger’s jaw muscles twitched and his eyes flashed. “Do all of you feel this way?” he snapped. The others hesitated. It wouldn’t be the smartest thing to cut oneself off from his job 25,000 miles above Earth and with no other work in sight, but neither could a fellow let his buddy stand alone in something on which all of them were in sympathy. Rock made the first move. “I feel that way,” he said boldly, and the others backed him up. “You fellows are through!” Mugger said coldly. “You may as well get your things together and be ready to take the next ferry ship going Earthward!” He turned and went out. Shep’s natural color was beginning to return. A look of penitence came over his thoughtful face. “I’m sorry, fellows. I—I just couldn’t help it.”