"Donovan ill. Relief man at key. Saturn reporting for orders. Any orders, Luna? Any orders?"
Marlowe flashed back, "Sorry about Donovan. Nothing trivial, I hope? Yes, have one order, Saturn. From S.S.C.B. headquarters. To Inspector-Commander Cooper. 'If Lt. Biggs passes examination, assign him immediately to command of—'"
Thump-thump-thump!
Damn! Of all the times to be interrupted. Just at the happy, crucial moment when I was about to learn the ship to which Biggs was going to be assigned! And some idiot had to come banging at my door!
Thump-thump-thump!
"Just a minute!" I howled. I switched off the unit and shoved the mattress back into place, rumpled the sheets, tousled my hair and pulled my shirt off. I stumbled to the door, unlocked it and stood back yawning and rubbing my eyes as if I had just hopped out of the arms of Morpheus. "C'mon in!" I said. "Whuzza big idea—Oh! How do you do, sir?"
My visitor was Inspector Cooper. He pushed past me into the room, glared around suspiciously, turned and heaved me an extraordinarily evil glare.
"What were you doing in here, Sparks? Don't lie to me! What were you doing at the exact moment I knocked?"
Behind him, ashen-faced, stood Cap Hanson. He knew about the auxiliary unit. One more bite, and his forefinger nail would be bitten off to the second joint.