“Oh no, sir. I’m going with you. That is, I mean .. . you are Dr. Leoh, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. And you must be….” Leoh hesitated. Can this be a Star Watch officer? he wondered-
The youth stiffened to attention and for an absurd flash of a second Leoh thought he was going to salute. “Junior Lieutenant Hector, sir; on special detached duty from cruiser SW4-J188, home base Perseus Alpha VI.”
“I see,” Leoh replied”Hmm … Is Hector your first name or your last?”
“Both, sir.”
I should haw guessed, Leoh told himself. Aloud, he said, “All right. Lieutenant, we’d better get to the shuttle before it leaves without us.”
They took to the slideway. Half a second later. Hector jumped off and dashed back to the communications booth for his travel kit. He hurried back to Leoh, bumping into seven bewildered citizens of various descriptions and nearly breaking both his legs when he tripped as he ran back onto the moving slideway. He went down on his face, sprawled across two lanes moving at different speeds, and needed the assistance of an elderly lady before he was again on his feet and standing beside Leoh.
“I … I’m sorry to cause all that, uh, commotion, sir.”
“That’s all right. You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“Uh, no. … I don’t think so. Just embarrassed.”
Leoh said nothing. They rode the slideway in silence through the busy station and out to the enclosed berths where the planetary shuttles were docked. They boarded one of the ships and found a pair of seats.
“Just how long have you been with the Star Watch, Lieutenant?”