‘It’s my job, sir. You can’t have forgotten that I’m your electronics officer.’
‘It’s also your job to call to mind the rules and regulations about seniority,’ Van Gelder said. ‘Pass it to me.’
Talbot reached out and took the krytron, already connected to a battery, from Denholm. ‘Neither of you. When we get to Piraeus, I think that those two young ladies will feel under a moral obligation to show you around the University precincts and indulge in other such-like cultural activities. I don’t think, somehow, that they would feel entirely comfortable in the presence of whoever pressed this button.’
Talbot cracked both orange domes with the hammer, rotated the switches through 180 degrees and pressed the button.
‘”Commander Talbot has elected to destroy and has destroyed the Angelina by detonating the atomic mine. He had my one hundred per cent encouragement and support. Andropulos and his two friends were aboard the Angelina,”‘
The President shook his head in disbelief and laid the message down. ‘This Commander Talbot. A totally ruthless and highly resourceful man.’
‘Not ruthless, sir,’ Sir John said. ‘A kind and thoughtful man. If he were ruthless, he could have permitted the destruction of a ship or a city. But resourceful? Yes, I rather think he is.’