 Which word least describes Don?
Radio messages stated simply that Superior had seceded from Earth. A National Guard officer volunteered to take a jeep down into the pit, having found a spot that seemed navigable. Don Cort had been dozing in what passed for the club car on the Buckeye Cannonball when the train braked to a stop. If the girl had given Don Cort more than that one glance, or if it had been a trained, all-encompassing glance, she would have seen a man in his mid-twenties—about her age—lean, tall and straight-shouldered, with once-blond hair now verging on dark brown, a face neither handsome nor ugly, and a habit of drawing the inside of his left cheek between his teeth and nibbling at it thoughtfully. Don hesitated, shrugged at the redhead, said, "Excuse me," and followed the conductor. Don made his way up to the locomotive and found a bigger knot of people gathered in front of the cowcatcher. Don saw two men who must have been the engineer and the fireman talking to an old bearded gentleman wearing a civil defense helmet, a topcoat and riding boots. Nevertheless, Don could see that it apparently was a neat, sharp edge, not one of your old ragged, random edges such as might have been caused by an explosion. Don looked at the fireman, who had an unbelieving expression on his face, then at the bearded old man, who was smiling and nodding.
 caring
 secretive  calm  inquisitive  caring