"_And_ his prints. He was all right."
Johnny took Tom's arm, and they headed through the gate toward the
control tower. "I guess I'm just naturally suspicious," he grinned, "but
I'd sure hate to have a broken cut-off switch, or a fuel valve go out of
whack at just the wrong moment."
"You think Tawney would dare to try something here?" Tom said.
"Never hurts to check. We've got our hands full for a few hours getting
set, so I just asked my friends to keep an eye on things. Always did say
that a man who's going to gamble is smart to cover his bets."
At the control tower they parted, and Tom walked into the clearance
office. Johnny's watch-man had startled him, and for the first time he
felt a chill of apprehension. If they were right ... if this trip to the
Belt were not a wild goose chase from the very start ... then Roger
Hunter's accident had been no accident at all.
Quite suddenly, Tom felt very thankful that Johnny Coombs had
friends....
* * * * *
"I don't like it," the Major said, facing Tom and Greg across the desk
in the U.N. Registry office below the control tower. "You've gotten an
idea in your heads, and you just won't listen to reason."
Somewhere above them, Tom could hear the low-pitched rumble of a
scout-ship blasting from its launching rack. "All we want to do is go
out and work Dad's claim," he said for the second time.
"I know perfectly well what you want to do, that's why I told the people
here to alert me if you tried to clear a ship. You don't know what
you're doing ... and I'm not going to sign those clearance papers."
"Why not?" Greg said.
"Because you're going out there asking for trouble, that's why not."
"But you told us before that there wasn't any trouble. Dad had an
accident, that was all. So how could we get in trouble?"
The Major's face was an angry red. He started to say something, then
stopped, and scowled at them instead. They met his stare. Finally he
threw up his hands. "All right, so I can't legally stop you," he said.
"But at least I can beg you to use your heads. You're wasting time and
money on a foolish idea. You're walking into dangers and risks that you
can't handle, and I hate to see it happen.
"Mining in the Belt is a job for experienced men, not rank novices."
"Johnny Coombs is no novice."
"No, but he's lost his wits, taking you two out there."
"Well, are there any other dangers you have in mind?"
Once more the Major searched for words, and failed to find them. "No,"
he sighed, "and you wouldn't listen if I did."
"It seems everybody is warning us about how dangerous this trip is
likely to be," Greg said quietly. "Last night it was Merrill Tawney. He
offered to buy us out, he was so eager for a deal that he offered us a
fantastic price. Then Johnny tells us that Dad mined some rich ore when
he was out there on his last trip, but never got a chance to bring it in
because of his ... accident. Up until now I haven't been so sure Dad
_didn't_ just have an accident, but now I'm beginning to wonder. Too
many people have been warning us...."
"You're determined to go out there, then?"
"That's about right."
The Major picked up the clearance papers, glanced at them quickly,
and signed them. "All right, you're cleared. I hate to do it, but I
suppose I'd go with you if the law would let me. And I'll tell you one
thing ... if you can find a single particle of evidence that will link
Jupiter Equilateral or anybody else to your father's death, I'll use all
the power I have to break them." He handed the papers back to Tom. "But
be careful, because if Jupiter Equilateral is involved in it, they're
going to play dirty."