"That bad, heh? Then I'd better make certain we get to see him very soon."
Lowen glared at the floor, ready to kick himself for aggravating an already touchy situation.
The intervideo snapped on. "Could you come out for a moment?" his secretary whispered on screen. She looked very upset.
"Certainly, Helen, I'll be right there." President Collins turned to them. "I hope you gentlemen will excuse me."
"Of course, Mister President." They all rose and bowed slightly in his direction.
"Maps," President Collins smiled just before he went out. "That's his big hobby now, isn't it? Wonder what I'll go in for when I reach the intermittent senile phase?" He grinned. "Oh well, I still have a century before that."
As soon as the door shut, Lowen whirled on his associates. "What the hell's the matter with you two? You looked as if you were going to spill the whole beans about the old man. We have to watch our step."
"But the implication about his reaction was somewhat distorted," Fitzhugh protested.
"Somewhat distorted! Well, what of it? The most innocent little distortion I ever heard! We don't even know what Huddleston really means, do we?"
"That's what I mean by distorted, Lowen. You didn't convey that impression—."