Al left them. He had been gone too long from his vigil at the Institute. In swift succession he made contact with each frog hidden in an office of a Board member. They were all out.
He looked in on the conference room. From a high corner he saw that yellow table he remembered so well. It had not yet been repainted to erase the faint stains of his own blood that could not be removed.
The Board members were watching a news screen. But no gloom of disaster marked their witnessing of the scene that had just flashed from World Court. Instead, an air of high joviality predominated. They seemed in uniform high spirits and glasses tinkled occasionally on the conference table.
Al looked on for a moment in amazement, unable to believe that these men comprehended the thing they had just heard. The
