Tanner twisted abruptly, stared at Berendt, and laughed shortly. "What? Not a thing, Miles. Not a thing...."
Berendt sighed. "I'm glad. With business as good as it is, and that new contract with Deimos Mines almost in our laps we've got reason to celebrate. I thought maybe you, Carol and I could sort of relax with a few drinks at my place tonight—"
"Carol?" Bert bit her name out sharply. Too sharply. He forced the edge from his voice and glanced uneasily away from Berendt to stare out the window until he could get his emotions under control. Don't let him suspect—not now.... Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miles get up from behind the desk and walk slowly over toward him. Berendt had his hands in his pants pockets.
"You sure nothing's bothering you, Bert?"
Tanner started to turn from the window. But his gaze was caught by a trim figure coming into view across the smooth concrete expanse separating the office building from the repair hangar. It was a girl. A blonde girl. A dream of a figure in form-fitting plasti-silk. It was Carol. She was coming toward the office building, a file of papers under one arm.
"Bert. I asked you a question."
Tanner pulled his eyes away from the window. As he did so Miles glanced past him. A smile pulled at his thin, firm lips as he saw Carol approaching the building. The sun was going down in the west, and she was framed in a golden-red halo with the tapering, glinting metallic tips of two space ships, the Viking and Space Queen II in their ground cradles for a backdrop. To Miles it was a beautiful picture. The smile on his lips widened.
Tanner saw the smile and his own swarthy features grew dark. "You trying to needle me, Miles?" his voice was edgy, almost harsh.
Berendt pulled his gaze away from the window and Carol's vanishing figure as she rounded a corner of the building.
"Needle you, Bert? What the hell gave you that idea? You're acting pretty peculiar—"