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He looked at Broward. "You! Go to my office and wait there for me."
Broward said softly to Ingrid, "Let me handle this. I'm sure he doesn't know we're married. I'll break the news."
He walked away and entered the office. Not wishing to give Scone the feeblest excuse for trouble, he did not sit down but stood before Scone's desk, ready to spring to attention when he came in. It was a long wait, only ten minutes by his wristwatch but interminable by other standards. Finally, when Broward was begi
"So," he said, "we have taken one more step towards the defeat of our enemies. Now, give me a report of your trip to Earth. Make it brief, however. I know that you came back with the bomb."
Broward told his story, the false and true details spilling out easily. Scone kept his pale blue eyes fixed on Broward's face as if he were trying to read behind the flesh. Then, when Broward ended with the account of his ship's landing at the port of Clavius, Scone seemed to relax a trifle. He leaned back and said, "It couldn't have gone better."
By which Broward knew that Scone was pleased not only with the retrieval of the bomb but the solution of the problem of the "Jew." At that moment, Broward hated Scone as never before. He even thought of killing him, but he did not act on the thought. If he did so, he would be as much a monster as Scone. Moreover, he himself would undoubtedly be executed a few minutes later. No, he wanted to live, to enjoy life with Ingrid, and to ensure the survival
of mankind—although he was doubtful that mankind was really worth saving.
He did derive a bitter satisfaction from the knowledge that Moshe was safe and that Scone, although he would never know it, was cheated.
"We have the bomb," said Scone. "How do we use it?" He was speaking out loud to himself, for he would never have asked Broward for advice. "This mission to deliver the bomb must not fail. It is our greatest, I might almost say, our only chance to defeat the Axe."
He glared at Broward. "You realize that I ca
"I know," murmured Broward.
"I need somebody who has proven himself."
"Me?"
"You will have to admit that, logically, you are the candidate."
Broward nodded his head and thought, If I complete the mission but should die while doing it, then Scone, once again, will have killed two birds with one stone. And I will be the means of the murder that I hate, the instrument of the murder that I hate.
"Like it or not," continued Scone, "I have to spare one ship. That will be the one that already has the bomb attached to it. Hmm. I made a mistake. I should have ordered you, once you had the bomb, to proceed to Mars with it. Then, it would all be over. No, it wasn't a mistake. I had to know for sure that you did get it."
"I am not a professional navigator," said Broward.
"That does not matter. You know enough to get there. In this day of automatic devices, a man does not have to be highly skilled to pilot a spaceship. If he knows enough to feed the proper data into the computer... we will program most of the flight. I can't spare more than one man."
"So much depends on the success of this," said Broward. "You can't afford to take a chance. We can't afford..."
"One man, one ship," replied Scone firmly. "Two men won't help. It wouldn't help if I sent my entire fleet out with you. In fact, the fewer in space, the less chance of detection."
"Sir," Broward said, "I request permission to take along my wife!"
"Your... wife? I didn't know you were married?"
"Ingrid Nashdoi and I were married shortly before you showed up, sir."
"Who gave you permission? I specifically..." Scone's voice trailed off, but Broward knew what he meant to say.
"I did," said Broward. "It's legal."
"Why should you want to take her along? It's a very dangerous mission."
"If either of us were to die, the other wouldn't want to live. If we have to die, then let it be together." Broward hoped that Ingrid would agree with him; he was sure that she would.
"That is the way we feel, sir."
"Broward, you know that the life of every woman is precious. The future of the race depends upon her. If I sanctioned this stupid senseless move, I would be betraying my trust, the survival of mankind."
"Very noble sentiments, sir. Those of a true leader, who is devoted to his species."
"None of your sarcasm. What I have done, I have done to ensure peace in the future and a life worth living. No, Broward, your request is not granted. No! Would you like to sit down? You look faint."
"I'll stand. How do we proceed, sir?"
"You must be tired. Go rest. I want you to be in as fine a shape as possible, since you have an extremely grueling task ahead. We will set up the flight and make the ship ready. You will be awakened."
Broward saluted and turned to leave, but Scone said, "Oh, yes. You must not be disturbed. I'll station a guard so you won't be bothered by visitors."
"I understand," said Broward. Furious, but helpless, he walked away. When he had gone through the conference room, instead of obeying his orders, he went to the biolab to look for Ingrid. She should be taking care of the "freezing" of the Russian and Chinese prisoners. He found her at the controls of a large console, making some adjustments needed for the preliminary "treatment" of those about to be frozen. These were out of sight in another room, but he was familiar enough with SA procedure to know that they had been put to sleep with an anaesthetic gas.
He bent over her as if he were asking her a question about her work and said softly, "Keep on working, Ingrid. And don't look surprised or alarmed. I've been ordered to deliver the bomb to Mars. I'm not supposed to see you; I'm supposed to be resting."
Ingrid continued to watch the indicator lights and meters on the panel. She said, "Mars! Why didn't you ask Scone if I could go with you? You know..."
"I knew, and I did ask. He refused."
"Can't you say no? Tell him you will not go?"
"You know better than that. He'd either have me shot or else placed in the tanks with the others."
"Couldn't I stow away?"
"Not a chance. Scone will make sure of that."
"Isn't there anything we can do?"
"We can hope. First, the Axe must be destroyed. Afterwards, who knows what will happen? I've seen things take too unexepeted a turn to think that Scone will always have his way."
"I want to go with you to your room at least."
"That you will, if I have anything to do with it Get somebody to take your place. I'll wait for you outside."
He left and stood outside the entrance for a minute. Ingrid came then, saying, "I told Miller that my orders were to be with you during the little time left before you took off."
"Now to find the guard before he reports to Scone. I'll brazen it out with him. He can't be so hard-hearted he'd refuse to let you stay with me."
So it was. The guard was so relieved that he had not lost Broward that he was very receptive. His orders had been to conduct Broward to a certain room and then stand at the door, to let no one in after Broward had entered. However, the order had said nothing about anyone who might enter at the same time he did or who went in before him. Thus, Broward paused a second to give Ingrid precedence and followed. The guard closed the port, and they were alone.
Four hours later, the port opened. The guard said, "The Colonel wants to see you in the briefing room."