Even though he should remain, he could do nothing there.

If he were to act, it must be from the outside, now, following the trend of events, dogging each development, striving in hidden, devious ways--violent ways, perhaps--to pull down this horrible edifice of enslavement ere it should whelm and crush the world.
So, acting as quickly as he had thought, and now ignoring the man Herzog as though he had never existed, Armstrong faced his fellows.
"It's all right, boys," said he, quite slowly, his voice seeming to come from a distance, his tones forced and unnatural.

"It's all right, every way.

I'm caught with the goods.

Don't any of you butt in.