The ears of a listening world waited long for an answer. But the eyes of that world saw a figure whose blond head was suddenly lowered as if to hide a betrayal of what was in his heart; they saw him raise his bowed head to stare mutely toward a girl whose eyes of blue were swimming with happy tears as she gave him a trembling smile--and only then did they see Chet Bullard draw himself erect, while his voice went out with the speed of light to a waiting world.
"I accept, Mr. President. Proudly--humbly--I accept!"
And the eyes of the world, if they were understanding eyes, must have smiled with his, as the Commander of the Interstellar Board of Control grasped, among others, the congratulatory hand of his subordinate, the Commander of Air.
But if there were any who expected to read mockery in those smiling eyes, they had yet to learn the measure of Commander Bullard--"Bullard, of the I.B.C.!"