note 13 him. whatever happened, the poor fool should never have exceeded his authority and put himself into such danger. Stupid to risk himself, to say nothing of our whole security. Stupid!"
The first officer shifted nervously in his chair. "What's our plan?""To deny everything. And to do nothing for the moment. We're due to sail on Tuesday at midnight; we keep to that plan."Boradinov looked out of the porthole at the carrier, his face tight. "Pity. That material could have jumped us forward a quantum.""What material?" Suslev asked, his eyes narrowing."Didn't you know, sir? Before Dimitri left, the poor fellow whispered he'd heard that this time we were to get some incredible information—a copy of the guidance system and a copy of their armament manifest, including atomics—that's why he was going himself. It was too important to trust to an ordinary courier. I must tell you I volunteered to go in his place."Suslev covered his shock that Metkin had confided in anyone. "Where did he hear that?"The other man shrugged. "He didn't say. I presume the American sailor told him when Dimitri took the call at the phone box to arrange the drop." He wiped a bead of sweat away. "They'll break him, won't they?"