“Maybe we should take stilts,” Bud joked.
Tom’s smile faded as he pondered the problems ahead. “There’ll be a lot of mysteries to solve, Bud. For instance, what the other side of the moon looks like.
And what causes those bright rays streaking out from some of the craters.”
Returning to the telescope, Tom pointed out a few lunar landmarks to his friend.
“That dark smooth patch in the lower right quadrant might be a good place to land,” he re-74 THE RACE TO THE MOON
marked. “It’s called the Imbrium Mare, or Rain Sea.”
“Rain Sea?” Bud was puzzled. “I thought you said there was no moisture.”
“Just a name, pal.” Tom chuckled. “The big lunar plains are called maria or seas. But they’re not the watery kind.”
“I’m still hoping we find life up there.”
“If so, it must be underground,” Tom said. “We’d have to dig for it.”
“I’ll bring along my mole suit and pretend I’m a visiting earth cousin,” Bud quipped as he turned to leave.
Tom at once settled down to a serious discussion with young Dr. Stevens, temporarily in charge of the observatory. Magnetic and gravitational fields on the moon were checked.
“And look at thisl” the astronomer said eagerly, leading Tom to one of the Swifts’ spectroscopes. “I’ve kept it a secret until you arrived.”
Upon seeing the indicator, the young inventor burst out, “Doctor, do you see what I do? An unknown hydrogen compound on the moon?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s amazing, and a great discovery, Doctor. The stuff is deeply buried, I’d guess,” Tom said.
“Yes,” Dr. Stevens agreed.
“Someday,” Tom announced, “I’m going after that compound!”
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