"Then you'll go?"
"I don't want to, quite frankly. I will if there is no alternative. I lost a lot of sleep last night making that decision. But first, I want to propose that some member of my staff go in my stead."
Steve walked to the desk and perched on its edge. "Which one?"
"You know them all. You also know their specialties. Which of them would fit your requirements best?"
"Zircon. He's a nuclear physicist."
Rick held his breath. Steve was continuing:
"Chahda urges Rick and Scotty to get jobs, too. I hadn't considered that, but it's not a bad idea."
Rick closed his eyes and let out his breath in a sigh of relief. Scotty nudged him.
Hartson Brant asked, "Then you will consider Zircon as my substitute? Always on condition that he will go, of course."
Steve nodded. "I'd prefer you, but I'll take Zircon, if I can make a condition of my own, and that is that you'll fly to the Far East on a moment's notice if he and the boys can't handle it."