"Atomic Siberia. The weapons place." He had to lean very close to her to whisper the final word: "Atomsk."
She should have told him off, but she nodded like a nitwit. Dugan took her arm and gave it a light, friendly, almost impersonal squeeze.
"Don't mind me, Captain Lomax. I'm on your team. You know, like the old-fashioned vaudeville magicians. I'm showing off and playing tricks on you, when I have no reason to do it. I suppose it's that I guess we're going to have to work together, and I want you to like me. I promise you I won't be a nuisance long." He stood back and laughed drily. "Not if you ship me off to Atomsk."
"I–I—I—" She felt herself blushing. She still couldn't say anything, conceding that she had listened in on the telephone. At last she got it out, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," said Dugan, slipping deftly out the door.
Don't be what? she wondered. Sorry? Standoffish? Formal? She wished he would come back.
As she sat down at her desk the realization flooded into her mind. This was supposed to be the solution to Atomsk — Atomsk, the very name of what had haunted her for weeks. This one man was all they were going to use. One friendly, comical young major against all the mystery and poison of the radioactive hills… She began to wish they hadn't picked this particular man. And she wished, too, that she knew more about him. Or else that she hadn't, somehow, felt his presence so.
II. THE CITY UNDER THE LEAVES
The little light went on, went off, went on again, and stayed on.
Captain Lomax went into General Coppersmith's office. He sat at his desk, his back to the light. As was her privilege, she sidestepped the visitor's chair which faced the window and took the inconspicuous straight chair by the edge of the window. Thus she sat at the general's right. He had taken no notice of her entrance. His fingertips touching, he held his hands a few inches above the desk and revolved his wrists so as to produce meaningless geometric effects.