But a broken contract was another and
more serious affair--a matter which might ground them more effectively
than any rule of the law enforcement bodies. And Jellico took to pacing
the room, while Tang and Wilcox who had started a game of four
dimensional chess made countless errors of move, and Stotz glared moodily
at the wall, apparently too sunk in his own gloomy thoughts to rise from
the mess table in the alcove.
Though time had ceased to have much meaning for them except as an
irritating reminder of the now sure failure of their Sargolian venture,
they marked the hours into a second full day of detention before Van
Rycke finally put in appearance. The Cargo-master was plainly tired, but
he showed no signs of discomposure. In fact as he came in he was humming
what he fondly imagined was a popular tune.
Jellico asked no questions, he merely regarded his trusted officer with a
quizzically raised eyebrow. But the others drew around. It was so
apparent that Van Rycke was pleased with himself. Which could only mean
that in some fantastic way he had managed to bring their venture down in
a full fin landing, that somehow he had argued the Queen out of danger
into a position where he could control the situation.
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