As Alfred Court, captain of the prison, strode down the flower-bordered path that led from the shops unit past A block to the administration building, a side door in A block clanged open and a sergeant came out. The sergeant turned without seeing his superior and walked hurriedly toward the administration wing.
"Hey, sarge!" Court called. "What's the hurry?"
The sergeant whirled, recognized the captain and quickly saluted.
"Glad to see you, sir," he said. "Just the man I was looking for!"
"Good enough. What's on your mind? Better tell me as we go for the warden's in a hurry to see me."
The two men walked abreast, both big, although Court lacked any trace of the sergeant's paunch. As they walked and talked, their eyes darted continually about, unconsciously checking the appearance of the buildings, the position of the guard in the gun tower, the attitude of a very old inmate who was meticulously weeding a flower bed.
"Captain, you going to let the men out for their yard time?"
Court's pace slowed. "Why not?"
"No real reason ... now. But there's trouble in the air, sir. I can smell it. The whole place is buzzing ... with something."
"With what?"