rtunity on the subjects in which they felt themselves deficient. Such tenseness is natural before any fi

five years, would any of them-except Hanlon, of course-know for a surety that he would be graduated an

andant of Cadets, and its unexpected outcome. He could hardly believe, even ye

ce-adored dad, and the complete dismissal of all those bla

at was to happen to him. He still shivered every time he thought of that coming, dreaded ordeal. And all this waitin

it was a measure of his inherent stability that he never let

een near the top of his class. Now, especially, since he was already graduated and a Senior Lieutenant, h

nlon's pet subjects, for he loved this story o

out and he noted the first question he

vents leading up to the formati

ped his writ

became vested in the Executive branch; more and more citizens were either working directly for government, or were supported by relief funds. Business was, to an in

the military took complete control of it. Neither private nor industrial scientists or technici

ng his four terms as member of the Lower House he became increasingly well-known as possessor of one of t

nd views so fired the minds and hopes of the citizens of America, regimented and ground down by the cancerous growth of bur

ned to the Legislative, where it belonged. Unnecessary, over-lapping, and duplicated bureaus and agencies were reduced to the minimum. Only persons actually in need were suppo

safe-guards of minimum-wage and maximum-safety laws. With these restrictions removed, and with control of s

evolutions, happily largely bloodless, and soon, working through the United Nations Counc

od of obtaining practically unlimited power directly from atomic fission. Now he could legally brin

cians. These now turned their attention to space flight and Man,

n trip-they stayed to study and to learn. Five years later the first ship landed on Mars, and within a decade that planet was lar

re given air, water and warmth as needed. Android robots, developed by Varney, one of Snyder's sc

here that the now-aged Snyder proved himself again one of the greatest human

having inhabitants intelligent enough

, Snyder was able to enforce that ruling. To do so, he organized the 'Snyder Patrol', which later was tak

ave their own sovereignty and chosen form of government, but are united in a loosely-knit Federation which is solely a Court of Arbitrat

of Mars and those of the Jovian satellites. He was resting his eyes by glancing unseeingly about the room mom

ow, Mister, do you think you can get awa

d drained from it. He stumbled to his feet and, conscious of the

t understand, sir.

aw you looking at Cadet Fox's paper. The idea of any cadet,

anger at such an unjust accusation,

was

ions always meant ex

ward the mind on the rostrum. Now he perceived the feeling of commiseration w

t up big". He made himself glare back at the teacher,

ever have been. "If our regular instructor was giving this exam he'd never make such an a

was receiving approbation now. "I saw you cheating, and I know what I saw.

ce and red face showed the anger he was simulating so well. "If you think you're going to frame me out of this c

ixed up in this unexpected brawl. They all sat, eyes lowered but faces st

hes and one hundred and seventy-five pounds, rushed down from the platform. He grabbed at

for a cadet to strike an officer, un

hyte, however skilled or strong could break. He dragged the struggling

oom 12-B. A cadet, caught cheati

. Hanlon, meanwhile, yelled insults and oaths. He twisted and squirmed as though trying to escape, although he had quic

r hated what he was doing, yet was approving the way the new SS man was playing his part. Further, Hanl

by two hulking space marines

ng on here?

nlon yelled denials and vituperations at the moron

dly. "We had high hopes for you, as I told you whe

g the word of this slime-snake who calls himself

stured to the marines, who jumped forward and grabbed Hanlo

fficially dismissed from the Int

symbols from Hanlon's uniform, then turned again

, out of the room, out of the building, across

nes literally and not-too-gently booted him into the st

just inside the gate. He cursed them fluently with every foul oath and name he could remember ever having he

ghter gone. To "make his act better," Hanlon now pretended to be frightened, cowardly, and accompanied by the jeers of the civilian

to an alley. He ran down this until he spotted the back door of a little cafe,

and rode the slideways to a section of the city where

n went to the bank where he bought some shares of sto