The question of using the curb or giving a free rein was a nice one; and the old car was given an astonishing amount of oil before Sudden wiped his hands on a bit of waste with the air of a man who had just made an important decision.
"If you've got time," he said to Johnny, when he approached the group at the plane, "I'd like to have a little talk with you.

No hurry, though.

Glad to see you got back all right.

You had the whole country guessing for a while." Johnny scowled, for the subject was becoming extremely unpleasant.
"I'm sorry--but I don't see what I can do about it, unless I go off and smash things up to carry out the program as expected," he retorted, and it did not occur to him that the words sounded particularly ungracious.
The thing was on his nerves so much that it seemed to him even Sudden was taunting him with the trouble he had caused.
"No, the show's over now, and the audience has gone home.

No use playing to an empty house," Sudden drawled.
Johnny looked at him quickly, suspiciously.