Tani expelled her breath in relief. Vickers looked at her suddenly and saw that tears were running down her cheeks. Involuntarily he started to reach out his hand to comfort her, remembered the repugnance normal humans felt toward him and let his hand drop to his knee.
The girl disturbed him. She was wearing practical gray coveralls instead of the filmy creation she'd had on yesterday. She was beautiful even in the baggy garment, but it wasn't altogether that. With the strides that had been made in eugenics, an ugly man or woman was the exception and, perversely, often had more appeal than the uniformly handsome ones.
No, he was hungry for a woman, hungry for companionship and admiration.
He frowned, catching himself up with a jerk. Self pity! He'd better watch himself. That way led to neurosis, manic depression and insanity.
He wished Tani would go away and leave him alone. He worked better alone. But he knew she'd been set to watch him. The Ring probably thought she'd do a better job of it since it was to her interest to see that he didn't double-cross them.
She said, "Clyde."
"Yes?" He was startled and dropped his nictitating lids. She'd never called him by his first name before.
"You resent being forced into this job, don't you? I'm sorry. Honest I am, Clyde. But it was father's life or—or...."
"Or mine," he supplied dryly.
"That isn't fair."