Before he had even finished speaking, Yongye had already turned and walked into the office with his arm around Lois, treating General Lane as though he were invisible.
Click.
The office door closed behind them, and the latch clicked into place, the sound exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.
General Lane's hand hung in midair, his fingertips less than three inches from the closed door, but he could reach no farther.
He stood there, the front of his suit rising and falling slightly with his rapid breathing. His Adam's apple bobbed twice beneath his tie, and his facial muscles shifted from astonishment to anger, then from anger to a sense of grievance that seeped from his very bones.
"That little bastard..."
He forced the curse through his teeth, every word carrying anger that burned up from deep within his chest.
"So damned rude!"
The corridor was empty. Wall lamps on either side cast warm yellow light over his old face, its sharp contours weathered by time and war, illuminating every wrinkle with exceptional clarity.
His clenched fists loosened and tightened at his sides, tightened and loosened, the repeated pressure turning the skin over his knuckles pale blue-white.
Finally, he turned and leaned his back against the corridor wall, folding his hands over his abdomen. His jaw tightened into a rigid line, and his gaze stayed fixed on the closed door.
The Multiversal Incursion crisis was a matter of grave importance. He had to reach an agreement with Yongye. He had to wait.
He was a soldier. He had fought in three wars and commanded over a hundred thousand troops. What hardship had he not endured? What indignity had he not suffered?
What was a few minutes' wait?
He drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger churning in his