"I thought you went to find him half an
hour ago!"
"I did," said Tom, "but when I went to the jet-boat deck, one was
missing. So I figured he had fixed one and taken it out for a test."
"Then he's probably outside in space now!" said Strong. Suddenly the
Solar Guard captain caught himself. "Wait a minute! How many jet boats
were on the deck, Corbett?"
"Three, sir."
"Then Astro is still aboard the ship," said Strong. "He couldn't have
taken a boat. James told me he couldn't repeat the message he sent out
because he only had the power of _three_ jet boats. One was damaged and
left behind at Atom City!"
"By the rings of Saturn," said Roger, "a coupla million miles from home,
sitting on an atomic bomb and that big Venusian hick decides to play
hide-and-seek!"
"Never mind the cracks," said Strong. "We've got to find him!"
"Captain," said the little man with the round face and glasses who had
first spoken to Strong when he came aboard, "just because my name
happens to be Zewbriski, and I have to be the very last to get on a jet
boat, I don't see why I have to wait any longer. I demand to be taken
off this ship immediately! I refuse to risk my life waiting around for
some foolish cadet!"
"That foolish cadet, Mr. Zewbriski," said Strong coldly, "is a human
being like you and we don't budge until we find him!"
At that moment the bell began to ring, indicating that the outer hatch
to the air lock was opening.
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