Hector’s expression went through a dozen contortions, all of them speechless.
“Won’t you reconsider your decision?” Leoh asked. “Hector’s life may depend on it.”
She closed her eyes briefly, then said, “I can’t. My father’s life is my first responsibility. I’m sorry.” There was real torment in her voice.
They exchanged a few meaningless trivialities—with Hector still thoroughly tongue-tied—and ended the conversation on a polite but strained note.
Leoh rubbed his thumb across the phone switch for a moment, then turned to Hector. “My boy, I think it ould be a good idea for you to go straight to the hospital and check on Dulaq’s condition.”
“But … why. …”
“Don’t argue, son. This could be vitally important. Check on Dulaq. In person, no phone calls.”
Hector shrugged and left the office. Leoh sat down at his desk and waited. There was nothing else he could do. After a while he got up and paced out to the big chamber, through the main doors, and out onto the campus. He walked past a dozen buildings, turned and strode as far as the decorative fence that marked the end of the main campus, ignoring students and faculty alike. He walked all around the campus, like a picket, trading nervous energy for time-
As he approached die dueling machine building again he spotted Hector walking dazedly toward him. For once, the Watchmam was not whistling. Leoh cut across some lawn to get to him-
“Welir he asked.
Hector shook his head, as if to clear away an inner fog. “How did you know she’d be at the hospital?”