Space Cadet

XVIII IN THE COMMANDANT'S OFFICE

PASSED CADETS Dodson and Jarman, freshly detached from the P.R.S. Pegasus, at Terra Station out from New Auckland, climbed out of the Randolph's scooter and into the Randolph herself. Cadet Jensen was not with them; Oscar, on despatch authorization from the Academy, had been granted six months for leave at home, with the understanding that he would be ordered to temporary duty in the course of it, to accompany the first consul to the equatorial regions to his station and assist in establishing liaison. Matt and Tex showed their orders to the officer of the watch and left with him the inevitable copies. He gave them their rooming assignments-in Hog Alley, in a room with a different number but otherwise like the one they had had. "Seems like we never left it," remarked Tex, as he unpacked his jump bag.

"Except it seems funny not to have Oz and Pete around." j

"Yeah, I keep expecting Oz to stick his head in and ask if we'd like to team up with him and Pete."

The room phone sounded, Tex answered.

"Cadet Jarman?"

"Speaking."

"The Commandant's compliments-you are to report to his office at once."

"Aye aye, sir." He switched off and continued to Matt. "They don't waste much time, do they?" He looked thoughtful and added, "You know what I think?"

"Maybe I can guess."

"Well, this quick service looks promising. And we did do quite a job, Matt. There's no getting around to it."

"I guess so. Bringing in the Astarte, a hundred and eight years overdue, was something-even if we had dragged it in on wheels it still would be something. I won't start calling you 'Lieutenant' just yet, but-he might commission us."

"Keep your fingers crossed. How do I look?"

"You aren't pretty, but you look nineteen times better than you did when we grounded at South Pole. Better get moving."

"Right." Tex left and Matt waited nervously. Presently the call he expected came in, telling him, too, to report to the Commandant.

He found that Tex was still inside. Rather than fidget under the eyes of others in the Commandant's outer office, he chose to wait in the passageway. After a while, Tex came out. Matt went up to him eagerly. "How about it?"

Tex gave him an odd look. "Just go on in."

"You can't talk?"

"We'll talk later. Go on in."

"Cadet Dodson!" someone called from the outer office.

"On deck," he called back. A couple of moments later he was in the presence of the Commandant.

"Cadet Dodson, reporting as ordered, sir."

The Commandant turned his face toward him and Matt felt again the eerie feeling that Commodore Arkwright could see him better than could an ordinary, sighted man. "Oh,

yes, Mr. Dodson. At ease." The elder Patrolman reached unerringly for a clip on his desk. "I've been looking over your record. You've made up your deficiency in astrogation and supplemented it with a limited amount .of practical work. Captain Yancey seems to approve of you, on the whole, but notes that you are sometimes absent-minded, with a tendency to become pre-occupied with one duty to the expense of others. I don't find that very serious-in a young man."

"Thank you, sir."

"It was not a compliment, just an observation. Now tell me, what would you do if-" Forty-five minutes later Matt caught his breath sufficiently to realize that he had been subjected to a very searching examination. He had come into the Commandant's office feeling nine feet tall, four feet wide, and completely covered with hair. The feeling had passed.

The Commandant paused for a moment as if thinking, then went on, "When will you be ready to be commissioned, Mr. Dodson?"

Matt strangled a bit, then managed to answer, "I don't know, sir. Three or four years, perhaps."

"I think a year should suffice, if you apply yourself. I'm sending you down to Hayworth Hall. You can catch the shuttle from the Station this afternoon.

"The usual delay for leave, of course," he added.

"That's fine, sir!"

"Enjoy yourself. I have an item here for you-" The blind man hesitated a split second, then reached for another clip, "-a copy of a-letter from Lieutenant Thurlow's mother. Another copy has been placed in your record."

"Uh, how is the lieutenant, sir?"

"Completely recovered, they tell me. One more thing before you go-"

"Yes, sir."

"Let me have some notes on what troubles you ran into in recommissioning the Astarte, emphasizing what you had to learn as you went along-especially any mistakes you made."

"Uh, aye aye, sir."

"Your notes will be considered in revising the manual on obsolete equipment. No hurry about it-do it when you come back from leave."

Matt left the Commandant's presence feeling only a fraction the size he had when he had gone in, yet he felt curiously elated rather than depressed. He hurried to the room he shared with Tex and found him waiting. Tex looked him over. "I see you've had it."

"Check."

"Hayworth Hall?"

"That's it." Matt looked puzzled. "I don't understand it. I went in there honestly convinced that I was going to be commissioned. But I feel wonderful. Why is that?"

"Don't look at me. I feel the same way, and yet I can't remember that he had a kind word to say. The whole business on Venus he just tossed off."

Matt said, "That's it!"

"What's what?"

" 'He just tossed it off.' That's why we feel good. He didn't make anything of it because he didn't expect anything less-because we are Patrolmen!"

"Huh? Yes, that's it-that's exactly it! Like he was thirty-second degree and we were first degree, but members of the same lodge." Tex started to whistle.

"I feel better," said Matt. "I felt good before, but now I feel better, now that I understand why. Say-one other thing."

"What?"

"You didn't tell him about the fight I had with Burke in New Auckland, did you?"

"Of course not." Tex was indignant.

"That's funny. I didn't tell anybody but you, and I could have sworn that no one saw it. I planned it that way."

"He knew about it?"

"He sure did."

"Was he sore?"

"No. He said he realized that Burke was out on bond

and that I was on leave and he had no wish to invade my private life-but he wanted to give me a word of advice."

"Yeah? What was it?"

"Never lead with my left."

Tex looked amazed, then thoughtful. "I think he was telling you not to lead with your chin, too."

"Probably." Matt started repacking his jump bag. "When's the next scooter for the Station?"

"About thirty minutes. Say, Matt, you've got leave of course?"

"Check."

"How about picking up my invitation to spend a few weeks on the Jarman spread? I want you to meet my folks -and Uncle Bodie."

"Uncle Bodie, by all means. But Tex?"

"Yeah?"

"Hotcakes for breakfast?"

"No hotcakes."

"It's a deal"

"Shake."