"Me, I work in fission. I like to have that confidence and the rest of the men, they like to have it too. When they lose it, they're kind of at a loss. We don't want to think we've lost it here, sir."
"What do you want me to do?" Barling was restless, fidgety, twisting his hands together.
"Lead us, sir. Tell us you can get us out of here. Tell us we must be prepared to fight behind you and maybe to die, but lead us."
"But how can you expect me to lead you when I don't know what's happening? How can I plan for escape when I don't know what it is we have to escape from?"
"There's talk among the men, sir," Steiner went on. "Some of them are for you, although I'll be frank. There aren't many, sir. But they need a leader, all of them agree on that. What they want to know is this: are you their man?"
Barling squared his thin shoulders arrogantly. "I'm the Frank Buck's Captain."
"The Frank Buck lies behind us in those purple mists, sir. Could you find it? Finding it, could you make it run again?"
"I don't know."
"Then the fact that you captain the Frank Buck doesn't mean much. We've decided that leaves us without a leader, sir. We need a leader."
Barling smiled coldly. "Are you trying to tell me the men have selected you?"