 Why can we infer that Eckert had changed the office window-scenery before telling Templin about Pendleton's demise?
It was Eckert who had come into his office several days ago and told him that Don Pendleton had killed himself. Eckert had fiddled with the controls and changed it to sunshine, then to a weird mixture of hail amid the brassy, golden sunlight. How long would it be before memories faded and all there was left of Pendleton was a page of statistics? Pendleton had been in his second year as attache on Tunpesh, a small planet with a G-type sun. Eckert and he had been chosen to go to Tunpesh and investigate. The two of them, working together, should be able to find out why Pendleton had killed himself. Warm breezes rustled through Eckert's graying hair and tugged gently at his tunic.
 In order to make the scenery less dreary than the news would already seem.
 In order to make the scenery less dreary than the news would already seem.  In order to  let in light to the dark room so that he could see his reaction.  As a last effort to convince Eckert to travel to Tunpesh and see the scenery for himself.  In order to show what the current state was outside.