Swiveling his chair away from the communications console, he faced his desk once again. The jumble of papers and notepads stared back at him in unswerving accusation. He realized that he viewed the work before him with neither enthusiasm nor distaste. He was too tired to muster any reaction.
He briefly considered the possibility of a short nap, but rejected the thought. He would double-check these figures once more, then take a break. With an involuntary sigh, he reached for a pencil.
Behind him, the communications console chimed softly, signaling an incoming call.
Tambu turned from his desk and reached “for the switch to activate the mechanism. His eye fell on the call board, and he hesitated.
The incoming call was being relayed through several ships. This was the normal precaution taken to hide his exact location. The ship originating the call was the Scorpion. Egor!
Tambu scowled at the board, his hand poised over the activator switch. For a moment, he was tempted to ignore the call. Then the console chimed again, and he threw the switch. As long as Egor was one of his captains, he would be afforded the same prompt attention as any other captain, no matter how annoying it was.
“Yes, Egor?” Tambu asked, forcing his voice into a neutral tone.
“Saladin says you approved the transfer of Jocko from the Scorpion to the Ramses.” Egor’s snarl exploded over the speaker even before his face blinked into focus.
“That is correct,” Tambu replied levelly.
“Did you know Jocko is the second-best navigator in my crew?” Egor’s face was on the screen now, and his expression matched his voice.