"I could use a martini, myself," he called after the girls. "How about the rest of you? Pete? Willie?"
Parrish seconded the motion, Westervelt said he would be right along, and trailed them slowly to the door. He paused to look back, and he and Joe exchanged brow-mopping gestures.
The rest of them were trouping along the corridor without much talk. He ambled along until the men, bringing up the rear, had turned the corner. Then he ducked into the library.
He fingered his eye again. Either it was a trifle less sore or he was getting used to it. He still hesitated to face an office full of people and good lighting.
"There must be something around here to read," he muttered.
He walked over to a stack of current magazines. Most of them were technical in nature; but several dealt with world and galactic news. He took a few to a seat at the long table and began to leaf through one.
It must have been about fifteen minutes later that Simonetta showed up, bearing a sealed cup of tea and one of coffee.
"So that's where you are!" she said. "I was taking something to Joe, and thought maybe I'd find you along the way."
Westervelt deduced that she had phoned the operator.
"You can have the coffee," she said, setting it beside his magazine. "Joe said he'd rather have tea this time around."