marched into his office with Gray Mountain close
behind. As soon as the door shut, North cursed. "The last thing I
want," he snapped, "is to attack The Peepians. I want The Empire to
wear itself out against them to bring us closer to our goal. But if I
go in and win or deliberately lose, we lose out either way. It's too
bad I wasn't sick, then I wouldn't HAVE to take the Command. I'd have a
legitimate excuse not to go, and they'd have to send somebody else."
10 North folded the orders and put them in his pocket. "I'll be back in
a little while," he announced, "I'm going to the hospital. I think
those tests I took found something that's going to keep me out of
action for a while. Come back to you in a little while!"
11 Gray Mountain nodded. North hurried back to the hospital and entered
Doc Astra's office. To his surprise he was admitted without delay. "Sit
down, North," the Doctor insisted, "I was just going to call you. Why
did you come down?"
12 North handed the Doctor the orders. "This is the LAST thing in the
universe I want," he explained. "My physical coming right now may have
been a blessing beyond belief. I want you to fake some medical problem
....something that will keep me out of duty long enough that they'll
have to pick somebody else."
13 A look of despair came on the Doctor's face. "How about a tumor," he
asked, "in the right lobe of the brain, encroaching into the logic
centers and putting pressure on the vision and hearing centers?"
14 "Sounds good ," questioned North, "but wouldn't that be a little
hard to fake?"
15 "We don't HAVE to fake it, North," the Doctor sighed. "It's there."
16 North's smile slowly faded, as the full extent of the Doctor's
words sank in. "Tumor?" stammered North, "Cancerous?"