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Goodwin, Harold Leland, 1914-1990

"Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet"

They like to eat
Planeteer junior officers for breakfast."
Lt. Felipe "Flip" Villa asked, "With salt, Joe?"
Major Barris sighed. "No use trying to tell you space chicks anything.
You're lieutenants now, and a lieutenant has the thickest skull of any
rank, no matter what service he belongs to."
Rip realized that Barris had not been joking, no matter how flippant his
speech. "Go ahead," he urged. "Finish what you were going to say."
"Okay. I'll make it short. Then you can catch the Terra rocket and take
your eight weeks' Earth leave. You won't really know what I'm talking
about until you've batted around space for a while. All I have to say
adds up to one thing. You won't like it, because it doesn't sound
scientific. That doesn't mean it isn't good science, because it is. Just
remember this: When you're in a jam, trust your hunch and not your head."
The twelve stared at him, openmouthed. For six years they had been taught
to rely on scientific methods. Now their best instructor and senior
officer was telling them just the opposite!
Rip started to object, but then he caught a glimmer of meaning. He stuck
out his hand. "Thanks, Joe. I hope we'll meet again."
Barris grinned. "We will, Rip.


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