Kendall finished out his hours. And this was not strange. No need to go out hunting Clare. A waste of energy to rush home looking for her. She would not be home. She was on her way to a far-distant and hostile planet where—unless he followed orders—she would scream out her life in agony unbearable to even contemplate.
The Centaurian was right. Kendall had not the iron will to allow this even though a dozen planets were on the block. He worked like a man in a dream and then drove slowly from Plant Nine along ten miles of winding road to the residential section reserved for scientists.
The house was dark. He went through the back door and stood alone in the kitchen. The dishes had been done. The place was spick and span. He knew the other rooms would be the same; beds made, floors swept. But Clare was gone.
Numbly, he wondered how they had accomplished it. He could have found out; checked at the gate and probably discovered by what ruse they had lured Clare out. No doubt forgery was involved; cleverly faked phone calls perhaps; even accomplished actors masquerading as guards or officials.
But it didn't matter really. Not now. Finding out would only satisfy curiosity. No end would be served.
Kendall went into the living room and sat down in the dark and lit a cigarette. Two hours later, the tray beside him was filled with butts and his decision had been made.
They would get their prints. Clare must not suffer. He got up and went into the bedroom and found the tiny camera under Clare's pillow....
He filled out a requisition the next morning and took it to his Section Chief, the kindly gray-haired senior scientist who was responsible for the work of twenty-five juniors. He read the requisition and his eyes widened a trifle. "Hmmm. The stats on the Willy Seven basic equations? I thought you were working on Nike Twelve, Kendall."
"I am sir. But I've got a hunch the Willy coordinates might get me over a nasty little hump. There is a similarity."
"Perhaps you're right." The Chief signed the permit without further objection.