For a long moment, Ross still lay unmoving. The whispering shoes drew closer--enough shoes for several pairs of feet. Slowly, Ross opened his eyes. A tall, slim man stood beside the bed--a man whose dark blue uniform bore silver comets on its shoulder-straps. Ross straightened just a trifle. Voice faint, he whispered, "Commandant Padora...." The tall man inclined his head in a small, precise nod. "My congratulations, Mr. Ross." A muscle in Ross' cheek twitched. "Congratulations--?" And then, more definitely, more firmly: "Congratulations for what?" "For successfully completing your mission." Ross said, "I didn't complete it. The formula--" "The formula has been recovered," the Security commandant interrupted smoothly. "Adjudicator Mawson told us precisely where to find it. Also, he confessed to murdering Doctor Tornelescu." Ross stared. "He _confessed_?" Commandant Padora glanced to one of the blue-uniformed men who stood behind him. "He did, didn't he, Mr. Galacorri?" "He seemed quite eager to," the other answered dryly. "He had some strange notion our rescue party might leave him on that catwalk if he didn't." The shadow of a smile played round the corners of the commandant's mouth. "In any event, Mr. Ross, Doctor Tornelescu's life catalyst now is in our hands, available for properly-controlled research, development and use. And I'm told that Mr. Mawson undoubtedly will spend the added years of life the injection gave him in a cell." "I see." "There's another matter also, Mr. Ross: the matter of your own disobedience of orders." Commandant Padora's grey eyes seemed to study the blank wall before him. "To set your mind at rest, I plead guilty to using you uncomfortably like a cat's-paw. By so restricting you as to precipitate insubordination, I temporarily convinced Cheng and Mawson that you were a free agent. As a result, they acted rashly, without covering their tracks properly. That's how we came to close in when we did; to have men and lines at hand to drop down through that skylight and take you off the catwalk after you'd collapsed from shock and heat." "I see," Ross said again. "In consequence of all this," the other went on with clipped precision, "the Federated Governments feel you've earned a certain recompense in terms of honor." He held out a hand to one of the men behind him. "Mr. Livingston...." "Here, sir." The man laid a flat leather case on the commandant's palm. "Stewart Ross"--Commandant Padora stood very erect now--"it is my privilege as commandant of the Federated Governments' integrated security agencies to present you at this time with our highest honor, the Starburst Medal First Class for service to humanity above and beyond the call of duty." He leaned forward as he finished; took the silver decoration from its case and pinned it to the breast of Ross' sleeper jacket. "Thank you, sir," Ross said. "I do appreciate it."