Ed rubbed the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “We wouldn’t be doing this at all if we weren’t badly bottlenecked. The payoff is worth a few calculated gambles as far as I’m concerned.”
Ed glanced at his wristwatch. “We’re running late,” he observed. “I need to get back and see how the repairs are progressing. Let’s go, Ashton.”
“Let’s hope for your sake that they’ve got the showers working,” Rosemary noted.
“I really feel like I’m on the verge of unlocking this thing,” Clifford objected, his eyes wide and sincere. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stay here and keep working for a while.”
Lamont and Ed regarded each other questioningly. Spratt’s eyes were typically inscrutable behind the thick lenses of his glasses.
Rosemary looked at the two men with an expression of disbelief and put her hands on her hips. “It ain’t all the same. No way you’re staying here by yourself.”
Clifford turned appealingly to Ed. “You were just telling me how frustrated you are that the repairs are going to take so long. If we can get another way of moving materials to Westward, we might be able to cut that time in half. I’m just asking to do my bit.”
Ed rubbed the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “We wouldn’t be doing this at all if we weren’t badly bottlenecked. The payoff is worth a few calculated gambles as far as I’m concerned.”
“I don’t think you are concerned,” Rosemary replied pointedly. “Clifford’s undergone a psychological shock—he needs rest and observation.” She turned her attention back to the mousy engineer. “Come along, lad. Doctor’s orders.”
“I hate to point it out,” Ed smiled thinly, “But you’re not a doctor. You’re just a medic.”
Rosemary lowered her hands from her hips, balling them into fists. Her green eyes were flashing dangerously.
“How about captain’s orders?” Lamont interjected. “No one’s to be by themselves in this tower for any amount of time. That comes from the top.”
Ed made a gesture of exasperation. “Okay, you’ve got me there.”
“That’s a good rule,” Clifford agreed. “There must be someone who can stay here with me.”
“I sure as hell can’t,” Ed said, glancing at his watch again.
“Nor I,” agreed Rosemary. “I’ve been up for eighteen hours.”
Lamont looked at Clifford, and then at Rosemary. Both were returning his gaze with pleading expressions. He licked his lips.
“Rosemary’s right,” He finally decided. “As urgent as the situation seems, we all need to get rest and not take undo chances. I’m for going back.”
A few minutes later, they were filing back into the asteroid pod, a slightly dejected-looking Clifford trailing in the rear.
“Thanks, mate,” Rosemary whispered to Lamont as they settled into their bucket seats in the cockpit behind Ed.
Lamont sighed and flipped open his cigarette case. “I never could bear up very long under a woman’s scorn,” he admitted.