  This latest bad news filled Garry with a new dread. But he refused to give up hope. He remembered that Ben was working in the flier, trying to put it in shape. “Captain Eaton,” he asked, “do you think Ben will have the flier ready by the time we begin falling to the moon?” “I couldn’t even guess at that. If there’s not too much wrong with the flier, he may get it repaired in short order. But a major repair—I just don’t know. I guess the next thing now is to inform the men of our course and get Ben’s estimate of the flier’s damage.” The three of them joined Ben and Mr. Klecker in the flier a few moments later. The small rocket ship was still held fast to the bigger Carefree, their two air locks joined as if they were one ship. When Captain Eaton had told the men that they were headed for the moon, whether they liked it or not, Ben replied, “Well, Captain, I suppose we’ve just got to get the space taxi in shape in mighty short order. I don’t imagine the Carefree will bounce very well on the moon’s hard, rocky surface.” “Do you really think you can get it repaired in time, Ben?” Captain Eaton asked gravely. “How much time do you think you can give me?” Ben asked. “I’ll have to do some more calculating before I can estimate exactly how long it will be before we go into final fall,” was the reply, “but, offhand, I would say you’ve got no longer than six hours.” Ben looked at the damaged control panel of the flier and shook his head. “Impossible,” he said, “but I’ll do it. I’ve got to do it.” “Everyone on the ship will be at your disposal, Ben,” Captain Eaton said. “Call for anyone and anything at all that you need in order to hurry those repairs. Ben, there’s no one else I’d rather trust with the lives of us all than you. You can’t let us down.” “That confidence means a lot, Captain,” Ben replied, his expression showing the appreciation he felt. “Mac gave his life for the ship. I’d do no less if it meant saving the Carefree and all you guys.” “I know you mean what you say, Ben,” Captain Eaton said, “but we won’t call on you to go that far. Just get the flier in shape so that we can escape in it and not share the Carefree’s fate in crashing on the moon.” Ben shook his head sadly. “I hadn’t thought of the Carefree plunging to her destruction. But we know that’s got to happen, don’t we, because there’s no way of saving her. Captain, this ship has become such a part of my life that I’d almost want to go down with her.” “I feel the same way, Ben,” Captain Eaton replied. “Life will never be the same again without the Carefree. I don’t know how I’ll get along without her deck beneath my feet.” “If we get out of this alive,” Mr. Klecker said, “we’ll just have to return to earth and spend the rest of our days there.” “That’s true,” the captain agreed sadly. “Even a millionaire is allowed a space ship as grand as this only once in a lifetime. I couldn’t afford another.” Ben seemed to realize that precious time was going to waste as they talked, and he began getting his tools together. “I know everyone wants to help,” he said, “but I think that Kleck and I can work better together by ourselves just now. There’ll be less confusion. I’ll be sure to call on anyone else if he’s needed.” Mr. Klecker had donned some old clothes, but he did not look comfortable in them. Ben listed more tools and equipment he would need, and Captain Eaton gave the list to Garry. “Take this to Isaac, will you, Garry, and ask him to round these up as quickly as possible. I’ve got to get back to the observatory and see how much time there is to zero hour.” “Isaac has taken Mac’s loss pretty badly, Captain,” Ben said. “Do you think he’ll be working at top efficiency?” “I think it will do him good to have something to do,” the captain replied. “He’ll be of no use to himself, or us either, if he just keeps on brooding.” Captain Eaton and the boys left the flier and went their separate ways to take care of their respective duties. Garry and Patch went to the dormitory and found Isaac Newton sitting on one of the lower bunks, his head in his hands. They stood beside the bunk for several moments, waiting for Isaac to look up, but he did not seem to know that there was anyone else around. “Isaac,” Garry then said, “Ben needs a few things for the repair of the flier. The captain thought you could round them up for us.” Isaac still did not look up. “Isaac, we’re headed for the moon,” Patch said urgently. “We’ve got to get the flier repaired within six hours, or we’re all goners!” Finally, Isaac looked up, his gentle eyes red. “It’s all my fault,” he said. “It’s all my fault that Mac is dead! I didn’t tell him about the satellite, and I should have. I ought to be shot like a soldier for neglecting his duty.” “You shouldn’t blame yourself, Isaac,” Garry said gently. “Anyone could have made the same mistake.” Isaac shook his head, as if pulling himself together, and held out his hand. “Let me have the list.” He looked it over, climbed to his feet, and started out of the dormitory. “Gee, he is taking it hard, isn’t he?” Patch asked. Garry nodded. “I can imagine how he feels. How many times have you made a mistake that you’d give anything in the world to correct if you could? But with us, our mistakes have never cost a person his life.” Isaac came back into the room. “One of the things on this list is the sealer gun. It must still be up there by the flight-deck door that was sealed to prevent the air leaking out. Will you fellows get it?” “Sure, Isaac,” Garry replied. “Come on, Patch.” As they pulled themselves along the center tunnel, Patch remarked, “Isaac didn’t want to go back up there. That’s why he asked us to get the sealer gun.” “I think you’re right,” Garry replied. “But it will save him some time just the same.” Reaching the platform in front of the flight deck, the boys stepped up onto the magnetized area. All at once Garry was struck by the awesome silence of this part of the ship. Along with this was the remembrance of the tragedy that had taken place beyond the door in front of them, and he had a lonesome, shivery feeling. Patch seemed to feel it too. “Let’s hurry up and get out of here,” he said. “It’s kind of spooky here all by ourselves.” “I don’t see the sealer gun anywhere, do you?” Garry asked. “No. Maybe somebody carried it away with them.” There was a well of darkness beneath the platform. Both boys glanced at one another. They knew that was the next place to look. “It may be down there someplace,” Garry said. “We’ll have to take a look.” “How could it be down there?” Patch argued, not enjoying the prospect. “There’s no gravity here in the tube. Things don’t fall in here like they do in the rest of the ship.” “It may have been shoved off in that direction,” Garry said. “That could easily have happened in all the excitement up here. Time’s wasting, Patch. If you’re scared, I’ll poke around down there.” “It’s not that I’m exactly scared,” Patch protested weakly. Garry held onto the railing and swung his feet off the magnetized-platform floor so that he floated weightlessly in the air. Then he began pulling himself down into the darkness, using the metal lattice-work that extended below the platform. “How can you see down there?” Patch called from above. “Want me to get a light for you?” “I’ll feel around a little first,” Garry answered. “I may put my hand right on it.” With one hand holding onto the metal stripping, Garry fanned his free arm back and forth along the floor. All he felt was cold smooth metal—at first. Then, suddenly, he felt something soft to his touch. A chill raced up his backbone, ending in a prickle at the top of his head. He swallowed, then courageously began feeling around again on the object, trying to identify it. His hand touched flesh, warm flesh, and he could trace the outline of five fingers. He felt that chill again, but he fought to keep his nerves under control. “Hey, What’s going on?” Patch called. “Have you found something?” Garry pulled himself back up to the platform and hung onto the rail, shaking. “Garry,” Patch said, “you’re white as you can be!” “I found something all right, Patch. There’s a person down there,” Garry whispered. |
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