The illumination had returned fully when Tayne walked in, saluted loosely. He carried something in his right hand.
"Yes?"
"There's been an alteration in our rosters—Old Man himself, I had nothing to do with it. Here."
Senses still numbed, he took the thin plastisheets. He tried to get the words to make sense. Subject, transfer, quadrant 3 to quadrant 1, attention, Quadrates concerned.
"Apparently the Director thought it would be better this way. For myself, I don't see that it could make any actual difference."
What was the man saying? What did—there it was. Ronal Blair, Kurt Blair: quadrant 3, Blair, to quadrant 1, Tayne. By Command: Gundar Tayne, Director....
His thoughts spun dizzily. Mike, Terry—no, those were not the names. The other Blair's sons....
This time, thank God, the other Blair's sons....