The next day, at Neptune's dawn, Johnny Damokles was led back to his work on the dynotron bomb. Timmy, sleepy-eyed and wavering, followed his captors to a place in the mech lab. He worked quietly for half an hour, then beckoned to his overseer.
"Yes?" hissed the Neptunian.
"I want to see your leader."
"Why?"
"None of your blasted business. Just do what you're told, or be mighty blasted sorry."
The Neptunian scratched an itching neck flange. "All right," he said, "but you'd better have something to make this worth while." He shoved Timmy forward, released a door catch, and led him down the hall. Three staccato raps opened another door, and Timmy again stood in the presence of Neptune's Leader.
"Yes?" the Leader's voice was suave, but flat. "Oh, it's you ... you've something important?"
"I want to work in the photo-lab."
"Something to do with your way of sensitizing impervium?"
"That's right."