"Sure is a big bugger," Dundon said, rising. The lieutenant regarded him calmly.
"He knows every phase of the operation, sir," the colonel said.
"Of course. Sit down, boy," Dundon said briefly, waving his cigar. The lieutenant sat. "What's a few extra pounds? May need 'em, by God." He put the cigar in his mouth and clamped his hands behind him, walked around to the front of the desk and sat down on the edge of it.
"When's take-off, sir?" the colonel asked.
Dundon looked at his watch. "Less than an hour. Does he know?"
The colonel whistled. "That soon? No, he doesn't know anything."
The lieutenant had taken off his hat, showing himself to be much younger and blonder than he had first appeared to Dundon. He sat watching both men without any particular expression.
"Well, we'd better get on with it," Dundon said, and reached out a hand toward the colonel, without looking at him. "Do you have the lieutenant's records?"
The colonel reached quickly into his inside coat pocket, drew out a long folded envelope which he laid in Dundon's hand. The small man hefted it, looked briefly inside.
"Hell," he said curtly. "Got to save time. If we have to brief him and get ready I can't go through all this. What's the story?"