noon before
By the time he and Scotty were smeared with the ointment , the fire was out . The boys watched as water was sprayed over the white-hot wreckage until at last the safety officer pronounced the torn remnants cool enough for inspection . Then John Gordon and the senior staff moved in . It was past noon before they emerged from their inch-by-inch examination of the rocket , but no one left to eat , to change clothes , or even to sit down . No one thought of it . John Gordon motioned to Dr. Albert Hiller , the Orion project officer . Hiller nodded .