"And I've been a beast keeping you so busy today," she said.
"Don't you stand on ceremony here, son," said Polly. She looked concerned. "You've been very sick, and we understand. If you're tired, you go right on into bed."
Orne glanced around the table, met anxious attention in each face. He pushed his chair back, said: "Well, if you really don't mind—"
"Mind!" barked Polly. "You scoot along now!"
"See you in the morning. Lew," said Diana.
He nodded, turned away, thinking: What a handsome woman! As he started down the hall, he heard Bullone say to Diana: "Di, perhaps you'd better not take that boy out tomorrow. After all, he is supposed to be here for a rest." Her answer was lost as Orne entered the hall, closed the door.
In the privacy of his room, Orne pressed the transceiver stud at his neck, said: "Stet?"
A voice hissed in his ears: "This is Mr. Stetson's relief. Orne, isn't it?"
"Yes. I want a check right away on those Nathian records the archaeologists found. Find out if Heleb was one of the planets they seeded."
"Right. Hang on." There was a long silence, then: "Lew, this is Stet. How come the question about Heleb?"