The Ranger Boys in Space
Page 19
"We are!" The three voices rang out together; only Tumble was silent. Bowen looked at him.
"What's the matter, young fellow? Standing out? Didn't you understand what I said to you in the rocket just after we landed?"
"No, sir."
"I didn't let you fly me down—I ordered you to. These nephews of mine and their intellectual friend are all reasonably good pilots, but I wouldn't trust one of them to fly me from the station to Earth without varying more than two percent from a one "G" acceleration the whole way. You did it, and I knew from your instructors that you'd do it. Now, are you a pilot with the others, or do you have some silly idea that we don't want you?"
"I'm with you, sir!"
"Uncle Jim, to you. You have some folks now, whether you know it or not. I can always use another nephew; I may want to get rid of some of the present ones.
"Now," he went on before Tumble had any chance to reply, "are the lot of you ready for work, or are you some of those characters who think the best way to start a job is with a vacation?"
"Where do we go?" There were four voices this time.
"Mars?" added Tumble hopefully.
"You'll get to Mars in good time; just be patient. Right now there are more important things than finding out if the canals are ditches or not. There are people who want to know what's going on in the sun........ "
"What?"
".... and since we can't very well go there, they want instruments set up in the next best place. Pete, as the walking encyclopedia of the Space Rangers, tell your friends about the planet Mercury."
But even Peter did not know about the Tunnel of Fire. That came later, and by then they all knew it as well as he did.