The Space Pioneers, page 89 by Carey Rockwell
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e whole operation by signing on a couple of space jerks like you two! Get out!"
The two men left hurriedly and Vidac began to pace the floor. He was acutely aware that his scheme was out in the open. All of the careful planning to keep the cadets off balance and unsure of him until he could make his move was lost. He regretted not having gotten rid of them before, out in space, where unexplained accidents would be accepted. He had placed too much confidence in Bush and Winters and had underestimated the cadets. Something had to be done--and fast! But it couldn't be anything obvious, or his plans of taking over Roald would fail.
The buzz of the teleceiver on his desk interrupted his train of thought and he flipped open the small scanner.
"Professor Sykes to see you, sir," reported his aide in the outer office.
"Tell him to come back later," said Vidac. "I'm busy."
"He says it's very important," replied the aide.
"All right--all right, send him in," snapped Vidac and closed the key on the teleceiver irritably. A second later the door opened and Professor Sykes entered hurriedly. He was dirty and dusty from his ten-day stay in the desert wastes of the satellite.
"Vidac!" cried Sykes excitedly. "I've just made the most tremendous discovery in the history of the Solar Alliance!"
Vidac eyed the professor calculatingly. He had never seen the old man excited before. "Sit down, Professor," he said. "You look as if you just walked through the New Sahara on Mars. Here, drink this!" Vidac offered the professor a glass of water and waited expectantly.
Sykes drank the water in one gulp and poured another glass before taking his seat. He began digging into his pouch and pulling out sheets of what appeared to be exposed film. He rummaged around for his glasses, and after adjusting them on his hawklike nose, began to sort the sheets of film.
"When the instruments on the Polaris went crazy out in space," began Sykes nervously, "I knew there was only one