And, of course, the Service had been on the spot in plenty of time. With three times as many ships, disposed with mathematical precision so as to enfilade the entire armada the moment it broke from the nebula. The battle had been a massacre, the attack smashed before the average citizen could even begin to figure out what it had been aimed at and good had triumphed over evil once more.
Of course.
Furtive scuffings on the gravel drew his attention briefly.
He looked at his watch, which said 14:58:03. That was the time, according to his instructions, when boy had to meet girl.
He had been given the strictest kind of orders to let nothing interfere with this meetingthe orders always issued on boy-meets-girl assignments. But, as usual, he had nothing to do but observe. The meeting was coming off on the dot, without any prodding from Jo. They always did.
Of course.
With a sigh, he folded his newspaper, smiling again at the coupleyes, it was the right man, tooand moved away, as if reluctantly. He wondered what would happen were he to pull away the false mustache, pitch the newspaper on the grass, and bound away with a joyous whoop. He suspected that the course of history would not be deflected by even a second of arc, but he was not minded to try the experiment.
The park was pleasant. The twin suns warmed the path and the greenery without any of the blasting heat which they would bring to bear later in the summer. Randolph was altogether the most comfortable planet he had visited in years. A little backward, perhaps, but restful, too.