“Really, sir,” protested Kane, looking to Blick for a cue.
“You heard the colonel,” barked Blick. “On your way!” Kane bolted.
Colonel Harris turned to Blick and said in a frosty voice: “I appreciate your help, colonel, but I feel perfectly competent to enforce my own orders.”
“Sorry, sir,” said the other meekly. “It won’t happen again.”
Harris smiled. “O.K., Jimmie,” he said, “let’s forget it. We’ve got work to do!”
XV
It seemed to Kurt as if time was standing still. His nerves were screwed up to the breaking point and although he maintained an air of outward composure for the benefit of those in the control room of the flagship, it took all his will power to keep the hand that was resting over the firing stud from quivering. One slip and they’d be on him. Actually it was only a matter of minutes between the time the scout was dispatched to the garrison below and the time it returned, but to him it seemed as if hours had passed before the familiar form of his commanding officer strode briskly into the control room.
Colonel Harris came to a halt just inside the door and swept the room with a keen penetrating gaze.
“What’s up, son?” he asked Kurt.
“I’m not quite sure. All that I know is that they’re here to blast the garrison. As long as I’ve got control of this,” he indicated the firing stud, “I’m top dog, but you’d better work something out in a hurry.”