"
"Why?" insisted Walters.
"Well, nothing's really happened," answered Steve.
"You mean, nothing since the fight in the gym?"
"Oh--" Strong flushed. "You know about that?"
Commander Walters smiled. "Black eyes and faces that looked like raw
beef don't go unnoticed, Steve."
"Uhh--no, sir," was Strong's lame reply.
"What I want to know is," pursued Walters, "did the fight prove
anything? Did the boys get it out of their systems and are they
concentrating on becoming a unit?"
"Right now, Commander, they're concentrating on passing their manuals.
They realize that they have to work together to get through this series
of tests. Why, Dr. Dale told me the other day that she's sure Tom's been
giving Roger a few pointers on control-deck operation. And one night I
found Manning giving Astro a lecture in compression ratios. Of course,
Manning's way of talking is a way that would confuse the Venusian more
than it would help him, but at least they weren't snarling at each
other."
"Hmm," Walters nodded. "Sounds hopeful, but still not conclusive. After
all, they have to help each other in the manuals. If one member of the
unit fails, it will reflect on the marks of the other two and they might
be washed out too. Even the deadliest enemies will unite to save their
lives."
"Perhaps, sir," replied Strong. "But we're not dealing with deadly
enemies now.
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