Lansing thought he'd never seen a colder eye. Yet, the
captain's lean face--so unlike the warden's mild, scholarly one--was
quiet, composed, unmarked by any weakness of feature or line of
self-indulgence. A big, tough man, Lansing mused, a very tough man. But
a just one.

* * * * *

"I've a problem, warden," Court said when the introductions were over.
"Something we should decide right away."

"Can't it wait?" Knox said irritably.

Lansing almost choked with stifled laughter when Court just glanced
briefly at Knox, then said quietly to the warden, "Sergeant Haines has
just advised me that the inmates know about these gentlemen and
they're--restless. I wonder if we shouldn't keep the men in their cells
this afternoon."'

"Blast it!" roared Knox. "Can't you people keep a secret?"

"There are no secrets in prison, general," Halloran said mildly. "I
learned that my first week as a guard, twenty years ago." To Court he
said, "Sit down, Alfred. Unless you disagree strongly, I think we'll let
the men out as usual. It's a risk, yes, but right now, the closer we
stick to normal routine, the better."

"You're probably right, sir."

Court sat down and Halloran turned to his two visitors.

"Now, gentlemen," he smiled, "we're at your disposal. As I told you, my
two associate wardens aren't here. Mr. Briggs is in town and Mr. Tate is
home ill. Dr. McCall, our Protestant clergyman, is also home, recovering
from a siege with one of those pesky viruses. But we here represent
various phases of our administration and can certainly answer all of
your questions."

"Questions!" Knox snorted. "We're here to tell you the facts--not ask."

"General," soothed Lansing. He looked across the desk at Halloran and
shrugged slightly. The warden twinkled. "General Knox is a trifle ...
ah, overblunt, but he's telling you the essential truth of the
situation. We've come to take you away from here. Just as soon as you
can leave."

"Hey?" cried Slade. "Leave here? The devil, man, I've got to take out a
gall bladder this afternoon!"

"I'm afraid I don't understand," murmured Goldsmid. "I thought the war
was over--"

"This is all nonsense!" There was an ominous note in Knox's hoarse
voice. "Do you people realize you're now under the authority of the
Fifth Defense Command?"

Lansing cried: "Let's be sensible about all this!" He pointed his cigar
at the fuming soldier. "General, these gentlemen have every righ