 What word best describes Commander Curtis?
SILENCE IS—DEADLY By Bertrand L. Shurtleff Radio is an absolute necessity in modern organization—and particularly in modern naval organization. [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Science-Fiction April 1942. Commander Bob Curtis roused himself from his doze, got up from his chair, stretched himself to his full, lanky height and yawned. That would be Nelson, his navigating officer. Curtis got a glimpse of the design on which he was working, and his lips relaxed in a faint smile. Androka had arrived on board the Comerford the day before she sailed from Norfolk. With him came a boatload of scientific apparatus and equipment, including a number of things that looked like oxygen tanks, which were now stored in the forward hold. Sometimes, Curtis thought old Androka was a bit wacky—a scientist whose mind had been turned by the horror that had come to his country under the domination of the Nazi gestapo . He was overfriendly with a black-browed bos'n's mate named Joe Bradford—the worst trouble maker on board. Nevertheless, his taut face, restless, searching eyes, and eternally nervous manner got Curtis' goat. Nelson had no answering smile, although there had been a great deal of good-natured joking aboard the Comerford ever since the navy department had sent the scientist on board the cruiser to carry on his experiments. This storm—" Curtis threw his arm around Nelson's dripping shoulders. "But this storm, sir!" Nelson avoided Curtis' friendly eyes and slipped out from under his arm. Commander Curtis shrugged good-naturedly and reached for the instrument. Curtis donned his slicker and went outside, sextant in hand. "Here's what I make it," the commander told his navigating officer. Curtis stared, frowned, grabbed his own sheet again. Nelson's estimate, I'm checking back," he declared, frowning at the two papers and hastily rechecking his own figures. With all these rocks and islets—" "Radio?" repeated the little Czech, thrusting his face between the other two, in his independent fashion that ignored ship's discipline. Then he hastened to the radio room, with Nelson at his heels, and the Czech trotting along behind. "Get us a radio cross-bearing for location at once," Curtis said sharply, for the operator seemed in a daze. Curtis gave him another curious look and thrust himself into the radio room. I have shattered them around your ship, just as I can eventually shatter them all over Central Europe!
 Authoritative
 Collaborative  Egotistical  Authoritative  Fierce