Snookums said: “I am smiling. Because I am pleased.”
There was no way for him to smile with a steel face, but Mike got the idea.
Mike turned to the Chief Powerman’s Mate. “Okay, Multhaus, shut it off. She’s steady now.”
Multhaus just sat there, surrounded by a wall of concentration, his hands still on the verniers, his eyes still on the screen. He didn’t move.
Mike flipped off the switch. “Come on, Multhaus, snap to. We’ve still got that beat note to worry about.”
Multhaus blinked dizzily as the green line vanished from his sight. He jerked his hands off the verniers, and then smiled sheepishly. He had been sitting there waiting for that green line to move a full minute after the input signal had ceased.
“Happy hypnosis,” said Mike. “Let’s get back to finding out which of those tubes in the hull is giving the external field the willies.”
Snookums, who had been listening carefully, rolled up and said, “Generator tubes three, four, and thirteen. Three is out of phase by—”
“You can tell us later, Snookums,” Mike interrupted rapidly. “Right now, we’ll get to work on those tubes. You were right once; I hope you’re right again.”
Again the power crew swung into action.