"Where's the other cadet?"
"He went with Captain Strong, sir," answered Tom.
"Oh?" said Mike. And in a surprisingly soft tone he added, "You two
pulled green slips, eh?"
"Yes, sir," they replied together.
"Well, I don't know how you did it, but congratulations. You passed the
classification tests. Both of you."
Tom just looked at the scarlet-clad, stumpy warrant officer. He couldn't
believe his ears. Suddenly he felt as if he had been lifted off his
feet. And then he realized that he _was_ off his feet. Astro was holding
him over his head. Then he dumped him in his bunk as easily as if he
had been a child. And at the same time, the big Venusian let out a loud,
long, earsplitting yell.
McKenny matched him with his bull-like roar.
"Plug that foghorn, you blasted Earthworm. You'll have the whole Academy
in here thinking there's a murder."
By this time Tom was on his feet again, standing in front of McKenny.
"You mean, we made it? We're really in? We're cadets?"
"That's right." McKenny looked at a clip board in his hand and read,
"Cadet Corbett, Tom. Qualified for control deck. Cadet Astro. Power
deck."
Astro took a deep breath and started another yell, but before he could
let go, McKenny clamped a big hand over his mouth.
"You bellow like that again and I'll make meteor dust out of you!"
Astro gulped and then matched Tom's grin with one that spread from ear
to ear.
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