OCR Text |
Show 236 but Jennings - - out cold in Yuri's arms, and smiling vacuously upward - turned to watbch. "What," the Colonel asked, a bitter and derisive smile on his lips, "is this?" "Wot - " Nori began, but Phyllis stilled her with a glare. Sid hesitated, searching for a better answer than the obvious, but finding no other. "A party, sir." "A party" -- the Colonel looked about - "of the Detachment officers." Sid made use of the only noncommittal answer, a shrug, "Aren't most of them here?" "Yes sir," The Colonel's eyes cut a swath around the room, "You realize that t h i s hotel is o f f - l i m i t s ?" As Sid stood s i l e n t , the Colonel f e l t the need for sarcastic prodding. "_As the sign says." "Yes s i r ." The Colonel's l i p s came together. "The Detachment o f f i c e r s ," he mused aloud, " i n an o f f - l i m i t s h o t e l . " He l e t the implication hang in the a i r before continuing. "One, however, is conspicuous by his absence. You can't find Captain Carlton?" "Mo s i r ," "Extraordinary. Like the whole Intelligence operation. I wonder how many units have the same freedom, or is it license?" He grew quiet as something -- Sid assumed it was humor - shook his shoulders. "It's good," he continued, "that most of you are healtny, since your doctor seems disinterested. However" |