Current File : //data/sci-fi/Dick Philip K/Philip K Dick - Second Variety.Rtf
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\pard\li985\b SECOND\b0 VARIETY\par
\pard\li1590\sl290\slmult0\i by\i0 \b\i Philip\b0\i0 \b\i K.\b0\i0 \b\i Dick\b0\i0\par
\pard\li10\sl390\slmult0\fs18 THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER made his way nervously up the ragged\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 side of the bill, holding his gun ready. He glanced around\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 him, licking his dry lips, his face set. From time to time he\par
reached up a gloved band and wiped perspiration from his\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 neck, pushing down his coat collar.\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 Eric turned to Corporal Leone. "Want him? Or can I have\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 him?" He adjusted the view sight so the Russian's features\par
squarely filled the glass, the lines cutting across his hard,\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 sombre features.\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 Leone considered. The Russian was close, moving rapidly,\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 almost running. "Don't fire. Wait," Leone tensed. "I don't\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 think we're needed."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 The Russian increased his pace, kicking ash and piles of\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 debris out of his way. He reached the top of the hill and\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 stopped, panting, staring around him. The sky was overcast,\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 drifting clouds of grey particles. Bare trunks of trees jutted up\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 occasionally; the ground was level and bare, rubble-strewn,\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 with the ruins of buildings standing out here and there like\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 yellowing skulls.\par
\pard\li195\sl15\slmult0 The Russian was uneasy. He knew something was wrong. He\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 started down the hill. Now he was only a few paces from the\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 bunker. Eric was getting fidgety. He played with his pistol,\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 glancing at Leone.\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "Don't worry," Leone said. "He won't get here. They'll\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 take care of him."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "Are you sure? He's got damn far."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "They hang around close to the bunker. He's getting into\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 the bad part. Get set!"\par
\pard\li205\sl20\slmult0 The Russian began to hurry, sliding down the hill, his\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 boots sinking into the heaps of grey ash, trying to keep his\par
\pard\li15\sl65\slmult0 gun up. He stopped for a moment, lifting his field-glasses to\par
\pard\li10 his face.\par
\pard "He's looking right at us," Eric said.\fs24\par
\pard\li210\fs18 The Russian came on. They could see his eyes, like two\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 blue stones. His mouth was open a little. He needed a\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 shave; his chin was stubbled. On one bony cheek was a\par
\pard\sl55\slmult0 square of tape, showing blue at the edge. A fungoid spot. His\par
\pard coat was muddy and torn. \b One\b0 glove was missing. As he ran\par
his belt counter bounced up and down against him.\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 Leone touched Eric's arm. "Here one comes."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 Across the ground something small and metallic came,\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 flashing in the dull sunlight of mid-day. A metal sphere. It\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 raced up the hill after the Russian, its treads flying. It was\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 small, one of the baby ones. Its claws were out, two razor pro-\par
jections spinning in a blur of white steel. The Russian heard\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 it. He turned instantly, firing. The sphere dissolved into par-\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 ticles. But already a second had emerged and was following\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 the first. The Russian fired again.\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 A third sphere leaped up the Russian's leg, clicking and\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 whirring. It jumped to the shoulder. The spinning blades dis-\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 appeared into the Russian's throat.\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 Eric relaxed. "Well, that's that. God, those damn things\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 give me the creeps. Sometimes I think we were better off be-\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 fore."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "If we hadn't invented them, they would have." Leone lit\par
\pard\li25\sl65\slmult0 a cigarette shakily. "I wonder why a Russian would come all\par
\pard\li20 this way alone. I didn't see anyone covering him."\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 Lieutenant Scott came slipping up the tunnel, into the bunk-\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 er. "What happened? Something entered the screen."\par
\pard\li230 "An Ivan."\par
\pard\li245\sl25\slmult0 "Just one?"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 Eric brought the screen view around. Scott peered into it.\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 Now there were numerous metal spheres crawling over the\par
\pard\li30\sl35\slmult0 prostrate body, dull metal globes clicking and whirring, saw-\par
\pard\li35 ing up the Russian into small parts to be carried away.\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 "What a lot of claws," Scott murmured.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "They come like flies. Not much game for them any more."\par
Scott pushed the sight away, disgusted. "Like flies. I wonder\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 why he was out there. They know we have claws all around."\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 A larger robot had joined the smaller spheres. It was direct-\par
\pard\li50\sl10\slmult0 ing operations, a long blunt tube with projecting eyepieces.\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 There was not much left of the soldier. What remained\par
\pard\li55\sl60\slmult0 was being brought down the hillside by the host of claws.\par
\pard\li255 "Sir," Leone said. "If it's all right, I'd like to go out there\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 and take a look at him."\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "Why?"\par
\pard "Maybe he came with something."\fs24\par
\pard\li195\fs18 Scott considered. He shrugged. "All right. But be careful."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "I have my tab." Leone patted the metal band at his\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 wrist. "I'll be out of bounds."\par
\pard\li205\sl215\slmult0 He picked up his rifle and stepped carefully up to the\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 mouth of the bunker, making his way between blocks of con-\par
\pard\li10\sl40\slmult0 crete and steel prongs, twisted and bent. The air was cold at\par
\pard\li10 the top. He crossed over the ground towards the remains of the\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 soldier, striding across the soft ash. A wind blew around him,\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 swirling grey particles up in his face. He squinted and pushed\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 on.\par
\pard\li215 The claws retreated as he came close, some of them stiffen-\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 ing into immobility. He touched his tab. The Ivan would\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 have given something for that! Short hard radiation emitted\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 from the tab neutralized the claws, put them out of commis-\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 sion. Even the big robot with its two waving eyestalks re-\par
treated respectfully as he approached.\par
\pard\li225\sl25\slmult0 He bent down over the remains of the soldier. The gloved\par
\pard\li30\sl5\slmult0 hand was closed tightly. There was something in it. Leone\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 pried the fingers apart. A sealed container, aluminium. Still\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 shiny.\par
\pard\li235\sl35\slmult0 He put it in his pocket and made his way back to the\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 bunker. Behind him the claws came back to life, moving\par
\pard\li40\sl30\slmult0 into operation again. The procession resumed, metal spheres\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 moving through the grey ash with their loads. He could hear\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 their treads scrabbling against the ground. He shuddered.\par
\pard\li235\sl25\slmult0 Scott watched intently as he brought the shiny tube out\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 of his pocket. "He had that?"\par
\pard\li230\sl25\slmult0 "In his hand." Leone unscrewed the top. "Maybe you\par
\pard\li30\sl25\slmult0 should look at it, sir."\par
\pard\li235\sl25\slmult0 Scott took it. He emptied the contents out in the palm of\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 his hand. A small piece of silk paper, carefully folded. He\par
\pard\li35\sl45\slmult0 sat down by the light and unfolded it.\par
\pard\li240\sl5\slmult0 "What's it say, sir?" Eric said. Several officers came up\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 the tunnel. Major Hendricks appeared.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "Major," Scott said. "Look at this."\par
\pard\li245\sl35\slmult0 Hendricks read the slip. "This just come?"\par
\pard\li245\sl30\slmult0 "A single runner. Just now."\par
\pard\li250\sl20\slmult0 "Where is he?" Hendricks asked sharply.\par
\pard\li250\sl30\slmult0 "The claws got him."\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0 Major Hendricks grunted. "Here." He passed it to his com-\par
\pard\li50\sl30\slmult0 panions. "I think this is what we've been waiting for. They\par
\pard certainly took their time about it."\fs24\par
\pard\li210\fs18 "So they want to talk terms," Scott said. "Are we going\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 along with them?"\par
\pard\li205\sl5\slmult0 "That's not for us to decide." Hendricks sat down. "Where's\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 the communications officer? I want the Moon Base."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 Leone pondered as the communications officer raised the\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 outside antenna cautiously, scanning the sky above the bunker\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 for any sign of a watching Russian ship.\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 "Sir," Scott said to Hendricks. "It's sure strange they sud-\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 denly came around. We've been using the claws for almost a\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 year. Now all of a sudden they start to fold."\par
\pard\li230 "Maybe claws have been getting down in their bunkers."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "One of the big ones, the kind with stalks, got into an\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 Ivan bunker last week," Eric said. "It got a whole platoon\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 of them before they got their lid shut."\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "How do you know?"\par
\pard\li245\sl10\slmult0 "A buddy told me. The thing came back withwith re-\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 mains."\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0 "Moon Base, sir," the communications officer said.\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 On the screen the face of the lunar monitor appeared. His\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 crisp uniform contrasted to the uniforms in the bunker. And\par
\pard\li50\sl15\slmult0 he was clean shaven. "Moon Base."\par
\pard\li260\sl10\slmult0 "This is forward command L-Whistle. On Terra. Let me\par
\pard\li45\sl25\slmult0 have General Thompson."\par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 The monitor faded. Presently General Thompson's heavy\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 features came into focus. "What is it, Major?"\par
\pard\li295\sl20\slmult0 "Our claws got a single Russian runner with a message.\par
\pard\li65\sl15\slmult0 We don't know whether to act on itthere have been tricks\par
\pard\li70\sl15\slmult0 like this in the past."\par
\pard\li270\sl15\slmult0 "What's the message?"\par
\pard\li280\sl15\slmult0 "The Russians want us to send a single officer on policy\par
\pard\li75\sl20\slmult0 level over to their lines. For a conference. They don't state\par
the nature of the conference. They say that matters of" He\par
\pard\li85\sl15\slmult0 consulted the slip. "Matters of grave urgency make it ad-\par
\pard\li80\sl15\slmult0 visable that discussion be opened between a representative of\par
\pard\li85\sl15\slmult0 the UN forces and themselves."\par
\pard\li290\sl15\slmult0 He held the message up to the screen for the general to\par
\pard\li85\sl60\slmult0 scan. Thompson's eyes moved.\par
\pard\li300 "What should we do?" Hendricks asked.\par
\pard\li295\sl15\slmult0 "Send a man out."\par
\pard\li300\sl20\slmult0 "You don't think it's a trap?"\par
\pard\li300\sl15\slmult0 "It might be. But the location they give for their forward\par
\pard\li100\sl25\slmult0 command is correct. It's worth a try, at any rate."\par
\pard\li310\sl15\slmult0 "I'll send an officer out. And report the results to you as\par
\pard soon as he returns."\fs24\par
\pard\li210\fs18 "All right. Major." Thompson broke the connection. "The\par
\pard\li10\sl65\slmult0 screen died. Up above, the antenna came slowly down.\par
\pard\li200 Hendricks rolled up the paper, deep in, thought.\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "I'll go," Leone said.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "They want somebody at policy level." Hendricks rubbed\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 his jaw. "Policy level. I haven't been outside in months. May-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 be I could use a little air."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "Don't you think it's risky?"\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks lifted the view sight and gazed into it. The re-\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 mains of the Russian were gone. Only a single claw was in\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 sight. It was folding itself back, disappearing into the ash, like\par
\pard\li5\sl60\slmult0 a crab. Like some hideous metal crab. . .\par
\pard\li205 "That's the only thing that bothers me." Hendricks rubbed\par
\pard\li5\sl25\slmult0 his wrist. "I know I'm safe as long as I have this on me. But\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 there's something about them. I hate the damn things. I wish\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 we'd never invented them. There's something wrong with\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 them. Relentless little"\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "If we hadn't invented them, the Ivans would have."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks pushed the sight back. "Anyhow, it seems to be\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 winning the war. I guess that's good."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Sounds like you're getting the same jitters as the Ivans."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks examined his wrist watch. "I guess I had better\par
\pard\li25\sl40\slmult0 get started, if I want to be there before dark."\par
\pard\li220\sl205\slmult0 He took a deep breath and then stepped out on to the grey,\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 rubbed ground. After a minute he lit a cigarette and stood\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 gazing around him. The landscape was dead. Nothing stirred.\par
\pard\li15\sl30\slmult0 He could see for miles, endless ash and slag, ruins of build-\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 ings. A few trees without leaves or branches, only the trunks.\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 Above him the eternal rolling clouds of grey, drifting between\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 Terra and the sun'.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 Major Hendricks went on. Off to the right something\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 scuttled, something round and metallic. A claw, going lickety-\par
split after something. Probably after a small animal, a rat.\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 They got rats, too. As a sort of sideline.\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 He came to the top of the little hill and lifted his field-\par
\pard\li35\sl25\slmult0 glasses. The Russian lines were a few miles ahead of him.\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 They had a forward command post there. The runner had\par
\pard\li25\sl70\slmult0 come from it.\par
\pard\li235 A squat robot with undulating arms passed by him, its arms\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 weaving inquiringly. The robot went on its way, disappearing\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 under some debris. Hendricks watched it go. He had never\par
\pard seen that type before. There were getting to be more and\fs24\par
\fs18 more types he had never seen, new varieties and sizes com-\par
ing up from the underground factories.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks put out his cigarette and hurried on. It was in-\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 teresting, the use of artificial forms in warfare. How had\par
\pard\li5\sl25\slmult0 they got started? Necessity. The Soviet Union had gained\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 great initial success, usual with the side that got the war go-\par
\pard\li10\sl5\slmult0 ing. Most of North America had been blasted off the map. Re-\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 taliation was quick in coming, of course. The sky was full of\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 circling disc-bombers long before the war began; they had\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 been up there for years. The discs began sailing down all\par
\pard\li10\sl50\slmult0 over Russia within hours after Washington got it.\par
\pard\li215 But that hadn't helped Washington.\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 The American bloc governments moved to the Moon Base\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 the first year. There was not much else to do. Europe was\par
\pard\li20\sl55\slmult0 gone; a slag heap with dark weeds growing from the ashes and\par
\pard\li10 bones. Most of North America was useless; nothing could be\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 planted, no one could live. A few million people kept going\par
\pard\li20\sl55\slmult0 up in Canada and down in South America. But during the\par
\pard\li20 second year Soviet parachutists began to drop, a few at first,\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 then more and more. They wore the first really effective anti-\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 radiation equipment; what was left of American production\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 moved to the moon along with the governments.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 All but the troops. The remaining troops stayed behind as\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 best they could, a few thousand here, a platoon there. No one\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 knew exactly where they were; they stayed where they could,\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 moving around at night, hiding in ruins, in sewers, cellars, with\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 the rats and snakes. It looked as if the Soviet Union had the\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 war almost won. Except for a handful of projectiles fired off\par
\pard\li30 from the moon daily, there was almost no weapon in use\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 aginst them. They came and went as they pleased. The war,\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 for all practical purposes, was over. Nothing effective opposed\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 them.\par
\pard\li245\sl225\slmult0 And then the first claws appeared. And overnight the com-\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 plexion of the war changed.\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 The claws were awkward, at first. Slow. The Ivans knocked\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 them off almost as fast as they crawled out of their under-\par
\pard\li35\sl25\slmult0 ground tunnels. But then they got better, faster, and more cun-\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 ning. Factories, all on Terra, turned them out. Factories a\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 long way underground, behind the Soviet lines, factories that\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 had once made atomic projectiles, now almost forgotten.\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 The claws got faster, and they got bigger. New types ap-\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 peared, some with feelers, some that flew. There were a\par
\pard few jumping kinds. The best technicians on the moon were\fs24\par
\fs18 working on designs, making them more and more intricate,\par
\pard\sl60\slmult0 more flexible. They became uncanny; the Ivans were having a\par
\pard lot of trouble with them. Some of the little claws were\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 learning to hide themselves, bun-owing down into the ash,\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 lying in wait.\par
\pard\li200\sl10\slmult0 And then they started getting into the Russian bunkers,\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 slipping down when the lids were raised for air and a look\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 around. One claw inside a bunker, a churning sphere of\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 blades and metalthat was enough. And when one got in\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 others followed. With a weapon like that the war couldn't\par
\pard\li20\sl60\slmult0 go on much longer.\par
\pard\li215 Maybe it was already over.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 Maybe he was going to hear the news. Maybe the Polit-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 buro had decided to throw in the sponge. Too bad it had taken\par
\pard\li15\sl60\slmult0 so long. Six years. A long time for war like that, the way\par
\pard\li10 they had waged it. The automatic retaliation discs, spinning\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 down all over Russia, hundreds of thousands of them. Bacteria\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 crystals. The Soviet guided missiles, whistling through the air.\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 The chain bombs. And now this, the robots, the claws\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 The claws weren't like other weapons. They were \i alive,\i0\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 from any practical standpoint, whether the Governments\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 wanted to admit it or not. They were not machines. They\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 were living things, spinning, creeping, shaking themselves up\par
\pard\li30 suddenly from the grey ash and darting towards a man, climb-\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 ing up him, rushing for his throat. And that was what they\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 had been designed to do. Their job.\par
\pard\li215\sl30\slmult0 They did their job well. Especially lately, with the new\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 designs coming up. Now they repaired themselves. They were\par
\pard\li20\sl70\slmult0 on their own. Radiation tabs protected the UN troops, but if\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 a man lost his tab he was fair game for the claws, no matter\par
\pard\li10 what his uniform. Down below the surface automatic ma-\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 chinery stamped them out. Human beings stayed a long way\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 off. It was too risky; nobody wanted to be around them.\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 They were left to themselves. And they seemed to be doing\par
\pard\li35\sl30\slmult0 all right. The new designs were faster, more complex. More\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 efficient.\par
\pard\li220\sl25\slmult0 Apparently they had won the war.\par
\pard\li225\sl245\slmult0 Major Hendricks lit a second cigarette. The landscape de-\par
\pard\li20\sl30\slmult0 pressed him. Nothing but ash and ruins. He seemed to be\par
\pard\li40\sl30\slmult0 alone, the only living thing in the whole world. To the right\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 the ruins of a town rose up, a few walls and heaps of debris.\par
\pard He tossed the dead match away, increasing his pace. Sudden-\fs24\par
\pard\li10\fs18 ly he stopped, jerking up his gun, his body tense. For a min-\par
\pard\li5\sl30\slmult0 ute it looked like\par
\pard\li210 From behind the shell of a ruined bilding a figure came,\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 walking slowly towards him, walking hesitantly.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks biinked. "Stop!"\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 The boy stopped. Hendricks lowered his gun. The boy\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 stood silently, looking at him. He was small, not very old.\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 Perhaps eight. But it was hard to tell. Most of the kids who\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 remained were stunted. He wore a faded blue sweater, rag-\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 ged with dirt, and short pants. His hair was long and matted.\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 Brown hair. It hung over his face and around his ears. He\par
\pard\li10\sl5\slmult0 held something in his arms.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "What's that you have?" Hendrisks said sharply.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 The boy held it out. It was a toy, a bear. A teddy bear.\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 The boy's eyes were large, but without expression.\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks relaxed. "I don't want it. Keep it."\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 The boy bugged the bear again.\par
\pard\li235\sl5\slmult0 "Where do you live?" Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "In there."\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 "The ruins?"\par
\pard\li235\sl10\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li240\sl10\slmult0 "Udderground?"\par
\pard\li240\sl25\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "How many are there?"\par
"Howhow many?"\par
"How many of you. How big's your settlement?"\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 The boy did not answer.\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks frowned. "You're not all by yourself, are you?"\par
\pard\li250\sl20\slmult0 The boy nodded.\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "How do you stay alive?"\par
"There's food."\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 "What kind of food?"\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "Different."\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks studied him. "How old are you?"\par
\pard\li255\sl20\slmult0 "Thirteen."\par
\pard\li265\sl225\slmult0 It wasn't possible. Or was it? The boy was thin, stunted.\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 And probably sterile. Radiation exposure, years straight. No\par
\pard\li65\sl15\slmult0 wonder he was so small. His arms and legs were like pipe-\par
\pard\li60\sl20\slmult0 cleaners, knobby and thin. Hendricks touched the boy's arm.\par
\pard\li70\sl15\slmult0 His skin was dry and rough; radiation skin. He bent down,\par
\pard\li65\sl10\slmult0 looking into the boy's face. There was no expression. Big\par
\pard\li70\sl65\slmult0 eyes, big and dark.\par
\pard "Are you blind?" Hendricks said.\fs24\par
\pard\li200\fs18 "No. I can see some."\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "How do you get away from the claws?"\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "The claws?"\par
"The round things. That run and burrow."\par
\pard\li205\sl20\slmult0 "I don't understand."\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 Maybe there weren't any claws around. A lot of areas were\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 free. They collected mostly around bunkers, where there were\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 people. The claws had been designed to sense warmth, warmth\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 of living things.\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "You're lucky." Hendricks straightened up. "Well? Which\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 way are you going? Backback there?"\par
\pard\li210 "Can I come with you?"\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "With \i me?"\i0 Hendricks folded his arms. "I'm going a long\par
\pard\sl55\slmult0 way. Miles. I have to hurry." He looked at his watch. "I have\par
\pard\li5 to get there by nightfall."\par
\pard\li205 "I want to come."\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks fumbled in his pack. "It isn't worth it. Here." He\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 tossed down the food cans he had with him. "You take\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 these and go back. Okay?"\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 The boy said nothing.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "I'll be coming back this way. In a day or so. If\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 you're around here when I come back you can come along\par
with me. All right?"\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "I want to come along with you now."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "It's a long walk."\par
\pard\li220\sl25\slmult0 "I can walk."\par
\pard\li210\sl30\slmult0 Hendricks shifted uneasily. It made too good a target, two\par
\pard\li15\sl30\slmult0 people walking along. And the boy would slow him down.\par
\pard\li10\sl30\slmult0 But he might not come back this way. And if the boy were\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 really all alone\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "Okay. Come along."\par
\pard\li205\sl245\slmult0 The boy fell in beside him. Hendricks strode along. The\par
\pard\li5\sl30\slmult0 boy walked silently, clutching his teddy bear.\par
\pard\li215\sl25\slmult0 "What's your name?" Hendricks said, after a time.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "David Edward Derring."\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "David? Whatwhat happened to your mother and father?"\par
\pard\li215\sl25\slmult0 "They died."\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "How?"\par
\pard\li205\sl40\slmult0 "In the blast."\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "How long ago?"\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "Six years."\par
\pard Hendricks slowed down'. "You've been alone six years?"\fs24\par
\pard\li200\fs18 "No. There were other people for a while. They went\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 away."\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "And you've been alone since?"\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "Yes."\par
Hendricks glanced down. The boy was strange, saying very\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 little. Withdrawn. But that was the way they were, the chil-\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 dren who had survived. Quiet. Stoic. A strange kind of fatal-\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 ism gripped them. Nothing came as a surprise. They accepted\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 anything that came along. There was no longer any \i normal,\i0\par
\pard\li25\sl60\slmult0 any natural course of things, moral or physical, for them to\par
\pard\li10 expect. Custom, habit, all the determining forces of learning\par
\pard\li15\sl45\slmult0 were gone; only brute experience remained.\par
\pard\li225 "Am I walking too fast?" Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "How did you happen to see me?"\par
"I was waiting."\par
\pard\li240\sl10\slmult0 "Waiting?" Hendricks was puzzled. "What were you waiting\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 for?"\par
\pard\li230\sl5\slmult0 "To catch things."\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "What kind of things?"\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "Things to eat."\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "Oh." Hendricks set his lips grimly. A thirteen-year-old\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 boy, living on rats and gophers and half-rotten canned food.\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 Down in a hole under the ruins of a town. With radiation\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 pools and claws, and Russian dive-mines up above, coasting\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 around in the sky.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "Where are we going?" David asked.\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 "To the Russian lines."\par
\pard\li240\sl10\slmult0 "Russian?"\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 "The enemy. The people who started the war. They\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 dropped the first radiation bombs. They began all this."\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 The boy nodded. His face showed no expression.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "I'm an American," Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li240\sl10\slmult0 There was no comment. On they went, the two of them,\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks walking a little ahead, David trailing behind him,\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 bugging his dirty teddy bear against his chest.\par
\pard\li250\sl220\slmult0 About four in the afternoon they stopped to eat. Hendricks\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 built a fire in a hollow between some slabs of concrete. He\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 cleared the weeds away and heaped up bits of wood. The Rus-\par
sians' lines were not very far ahead. Around him was what\par
\pard\li50\sl20\slmult0 had once been a long valley, acres of fruit trees and grapes.\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 Nothing remained now but a few bleak stumps and the moun-\par
\pard tains that stretched across the horizon at the far end. And the\fs24\par
\pard\li5\fs18 clouds of rolling ash that blew and drifted with the wind,\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 settling over the weeds and remains of buildings, walls here\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 and there, once in a while what had been a road.\par
\pard\li205\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks made coffee and heated up some boiled mutton\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 and bread. "Here." He handed bread and mutton to David.\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 David squatted by the edge of the fire, his knees knobby and\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 white. He examined the food and then passed it back shaking\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 his head.\par
\pard\li210\sl5\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "No? Don't you want any?"\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks shrugged. Maybe the boy was a mutant, used to\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 special food. It didn't matter. When he was hungry he would\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 find something to eat. The boy was strange. But there were\par
\pard\li15\sl50\slmult0 many strange changes coming over the world. Life was not the\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 same any more. It would never be the same again. The hu-\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 man race was going to have to realize that.\par
\pard\li230 "Suit yourself," Hendricks said. He ate the bread and mut-\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 ton by himself, washing it down with coffee. He ate slowly,\par
\pard\li25 finding the food hard to digest. When he was done he got\par
\pard\li15\sl40\slmult0 to his feet and stamped the fire out.\par
\pard\li225 David rose slowly, watching him with his young-old eyes.\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "We're going," Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "All right."\par
\pard\li225\sl30\slmult0 Hendricks walked along, his gun in his arms. They were\par
\pard\li25\sl30\slmult0 close; he was tense, ready for anything. The Russians should\par
\pard\li30\sl30\slmult0 be expecting a runner, an answer to their own runner, but\par
\pard\li35\sl30\slmult0 they were tricky. There was always the possibility of a slip-\par
\pard\li35\sl60\slmult0 up. He scanned the landscape around him. Nothing but slag\par
\pard\li40 and ash, a few hills, charred trees. Concrete walls. \b But\b0 some-\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 where ahead was the first bunker of the Russian lines, the\par
\pard\li30\sl25\slmult0 forward command. Underground, buried deep, with only a\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 periscope showing, a few gun muzzles. Maybe an antenna.\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "Will we be. there soon?" David asked.\par
\pard\li225\sl30\slmult0 "Yes. Getting tired?"\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li235\sl45\slmult0 "Why, then?"\par
\pard\li230\sl25\slmult0 David did not answer. He plodded carefully along behind,\par
\pard\li30\sl25\slmult0 picking his way over the ash. His legs and shoes were grey\par
\pard\li40\sl30\slmult0 with dust. His pinched face was streaked, lines of grey ash in\par
\pard\li45\sl25\slmult0 rivulets down the pale white of his skin. There was no col-\par
\pard\li45\sl65\slmult0 our to his face. Typical of the new children, growing up in\par
\pard cellars and sewers and underground shelters.\fs24\par
\pard\li205\fs18 Hendricks slowed down. He lifted his field-glasses and stud-\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 ied the ground ahead of him. Were they there, someplace,,\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 waiting for him? Watching him, the way his men had watched\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 the Russian runner? A chill went up his back. Maybe they\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 were getting their guns ready, preparing to fire, the way his\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 men had prepared, made ready to kill.\par
\pard\li210 Hendricks stopped, wiping perspiration from his face.'\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 "Damn." It made him uneasy. But he should be expected.\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 The situation was different.\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 He strode over the ash, holding his gun tightly with both\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 hands. Behind him came Davis. Hendricks peered around,\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 tight-lipped. Any second it might happen. A burst of white\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 light, a blast, carefully aimed from inside a deep concrete\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 bunker.\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 He raised his arm and waved it around in a circle.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 Nothing moved. To the right a long ridge ran, topped with\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 dead tree trunks. A few wild vines had grown up around the\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 trees, remains of arbours. And the eternal dark weeds.\par
\pard\li5 Hendricks studied the ridge. Was anything up there? Per-\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 fect place for a lockout. He approached the ridge warily,\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 David coming silently behind. If it were his command he'd\par
have a sentry up there, watching for troops trying to infiltrate\par
into the command area. Of course, if it were his command\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 there would be claws around the area for full protection.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 He stopped, feet apart, hands on his hips.\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "Are we there?" David said.\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Almost."\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "Why have we stopped?"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "I don't want to take any chances." Hendricks advanced\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 slowly. Now the ridge lay directly beside him, along his right.\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 Overlooking him. His uneasy feeling increased. If an Ivan\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 were up there he wouldn't have a chance. He waved his arm\par
\pard\li20 again. They should be expecting someone in the UN uniform,\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 in response to the note capsule. Unless the whole thing was a\par
\pard\li25\sl35\slmult0 trap.\par
\pard\li235 "Keep up with me." He turned towards David. "Don't drop\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 behind."\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "With you?"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "Up beside me? We're close. We can't take any chances.\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 Come on'."\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "I'll be all right." David remained behind him, in the rear,\par
\pard\li40\sl60\slmult0 a few paces away, still clutching his teddy bear.\par
\pard\li245 "Have it your way." Hendricks raised his glasses again,\par
\pard suddenly tense. For a momenthad something moved? He\fs24\par
\fs18 scanned the ridge carefully. Everything was silent. Dead. No\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 life up there, only tree trunks and ash. Maybe a few rats.\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 The big black rats that had survived the claws. Mutants\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 built their own shelters out of saliva and ash. Some kind of\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 plaster. Adaption. He started forward again.\par
\pard\li220\sl215\slmult0 A tall figure came out on the ridge above him, cloak\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 flapping. Grey-green. A Russian. Behind him a second soldier\par
\pard\li30\sl5\slmult0 appeared, Russian. Both lifted their guns, aiming.\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks froze. He opened his mouth. The soldiers were\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 kneeling, sighting down the side of the slope. A third figure\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 had joined them on the ridge top, a smaller figure in grey-\par
\pard\li35\sl55\slmult0 green. A woman. She stood behind the other two.\par
\pard\li240 Hendricks found his voice. "Stop!" He waved at them fran-\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 tically. "I'm"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 The two Russians fired. Behind Hendricks there was a\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 faint \i pop.\i0 Waves of heat lapped against him, throwing him to\par
the ground. Ash tore at his face, grinding into his eyes and\par
\pard\li45\sl50\slmult0 nose. Choking, he pulled himself to his knees. It was all a\par
\pard\li50 trap. He was finished. He had come to be killed, like a steer.\par
\pard\li45 The soldiers and the woman were coming down the side of\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 the ridge towards him, sliding down through the soft ash.\par
\pard\li60\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks was numb. His head throbbed. Awkwardly, he got\par
\pard\li65\sl25\slmult0 his rifle up and took aim. It weighed a thousand tons; he could\par
\pard\li65\sl10\slmult0 hardly hold it. His nose and cheeks stung. The air was full of\par
\pard\li60\sl20\slmult0 the blast smell, a bitter acrid stench.\par
\pard\li270\sl10\slmult0 "Don't fire," the first Russian said, in heavily accented Eng-\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 lish.\par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 The three of them came up to him, surrounding him. "Put\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 down your rifle, Yank," the other said.\par
\pard\li260 Hendricks was dazed. Everything had happened so fast. He\par
\pard\li55\sl30\slmult0 had been caught. And they had blasted the boy. He turned\par
\pard\li65\sl15\slmult0 his head. David was gone. What remained of him was strewn\par
\pard\li65\sl60\slmult0 across the ground.\par
\pard\li255 The three Russians studied him curiously. Hendricks sat,\par
\pard\li70\sl15\slmult0 wiping blood from his nose, picking out bits of ash. He shook\par
\pard\li70\sl20\slmult0 his head, trying to clear it. "Why did you do it?" he mur-\par
\pard\li75\sl10\slmult0 mured thickly. "The boy."\par
\pard\li280\sl10\slmult0 "Why?" One of the soldiers helped him roughly to his feet\par
\pard\li70\sl30\slmult0 He turned Hendricks around. "Look."\par
\pard\li270\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks closed his eyes.\par
\pard\li280\sl15\slmult0 "Look." The two Russians pulled him forward. "See. Hurry\par
\pard\li75\sl65\slmult0 up. There isn't much time to spare, Yank!"\par
\pard Hendricks looked. And gasped.\fs24\par
\pard\li215\fs18 "See now? Now do you understand?"\par
\pard\li200\sl220\slmult0 From the remains of David a metal wheel rolled. Relays,\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 glinting metal. Parts, wiring. One of the Russians kicked at the\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 heap of remains. Parts popped out, rolling away, wheels and\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 springs and rods. A plastic section fell in, half charred. Hen-\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 dricks bent shakily down. The front of the head had come off.\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 He could make out the intricate brain, wires and relays, tiny\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 tubes and switches, thousands of minute studs\par
\pard\li235 "A robot," the soldier holding his arm said. "We watched it\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 tagging you."\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "Tagging me?"\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "That's their way. They tag along with you. Into the bunk-\par
\pard\li5\sl60\slmult0 er. That's how they get in."\par
\pard\li205 Hendricks biinked, dazed. "But"\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 "Come on." They led him towards the ridge, sliding and\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 slipping on the ash. The woman reached the top and stood\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 waiting for them.\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "The forward command," Hendricks muttered. "I came to\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 negotiate with the Soviet"\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "There is no more forward command. \i They\i0 got in. We'll\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 explain." They reached the top of the ridge. "We're all that's\par
\pard\li5\sl25\slmult0 left. The three of us. The rest were down in the bunker."\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "This way. Down this way." The woman unscrewed a lid,\par
\pard\li15\sl70\slmult0 a grey manhole cover set in the ground. "Get in."\par
\pard\li215 Hendricks lowered himself. The two soldiers and the wom-\par
\pard\li5\sl75\slmult0 an came behind him, following him down the ladder. The\par
\pard\li10\sl5\slmult0 womafi closed the lid after them, bolting it tightly into\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 place.\par
\pard\li225\sl30\slmult0 "Good thing we saw you," one of the two soldiers grunted.\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 "It had tagged you about as far as it was going to."\par
\pard\li225\sl245\slmult0 "Give me one of your cigarettes," the woman said. "I\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 haven't had an American cigarette for weeks."\par
\pard\li220\sl40\slmult0 Hendricks pushed the pack to her. She took a cigarette and\par
\pard\li20\sl30\slmult0 passed the pack to the two soldiers. In the corner of the small\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 room the lamp gleamed fitfully. The room was low-ceilinged,\par
\pard\li15 cramped. The four of them sat around a small wood table. A\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 few dirty dishes were stacked to one side. Behind a ragged\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 curtain a second room was partly visible. Hendricks saw the\par
\pard\li15\sl60\slmult0 corner of a cot, some blankets, clothes hung on a hook.\par
\pard\li225 "We were here," the soldier beside him said. He took off\par
\pard his helmet, pushing his blond hair back. "I'm Corporal Rudi\fs24\par
\fs18 Maxer. Polish. Impressed in the Soviet Army two years ago."\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 He held out his hand.\par
\pard\li210 Hendricks hesitated and then shook. "Major Joseph Hen-\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 dricks"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Klaus Epstein." The other soldier shook with him, a small\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 dark man with thinning hair. Epstein plucked nervously at his\par
\pard\li20\sl55\slmult0 ear. "Austrian. Impressed God knows when. I don't remem-\par
\pard\li30 ber. The three of us were here, Rudi and I, with Tasso." He\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 indicated the woman. "That's how we escaped. All the rest\par
\pard\li30\sl60\slmult0 were down in the bunker."\par
\pard\li240 "Andand \i they\i0 got in?"\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 Epstein lit a cigarette. "First just one of them. The kind\par
\pard\li45\sl25\slmult0 that tagged you. Then it let others in."\par
\pard\li240\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks became alert. "The \i kind?\i0 Are there more than\par
\pard\li50\sl65\slmult0 one kind?"\par
\pard\li255 "The little boy. David. David holding his teddy bear.\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 That's Variety Three. The most effective."\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "What are the other types?"\par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 Epstein reached into his coat. "Here." He tossed a packet\par
\pard\li65\sl20\slmult0 of photographs on to the table, tied with a string. "Look for\par
\pard\li60\sl15\slmult0 yourself."\par
\pard\li260\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks untied the string.\par
\pard\li270\sl30\slmult0 "You see," Rudi Maxer said, "that was why we wanted to\par
\pard\li75\sl15\slmult0 talk terms. The Russians I mean. We found out about a week\par
\pard\li75\sl60\slmult0 ago. Found out that your claws were beginning to make up\par
\pard\li65\sl15\slmult0 new designs on their own. New types of their own. Better\par
\pard\li70 types. Down in your underground factories behind our lines.\par
You let them stamp themselves, repair themselves. Made\par
\pard\li75\sl10\slmult0 them more ~nd more intricate. It's your fault this happened."\par
\pard\li270\sl210\slmult0 Hendricks examined the photos. They had been snapped\par
\pard\li70\sl25\slmult0 hurriedly; they were blurred and indistinct. The first few\par
\pard\li80\sl5\slmult0 showedDavid. David walking along a road, by himself. Da-\par
\pard\li70\sl30\slmult0 vid and another David. Three Davids. All exactly alike. Each\par
\pard\li75\sl15\slmult0 with a ragged teddy bear.\par
\pard\li275\sl10\slmult0 All pathetic.\par
\pard\li285\sl10\slmult0 "Look at the others," Tasso said.\par
\pard\li290\sl25\slmult0 The next picture, taken at a great distance, showed a tower-\par
\pard\li85\sl15\slmult0 ing wounded soldier sitting by the side of a path, his arm in\par
\pard\li95\sl65\slmult0 a sling, the stump of one leg extended, a crude crutch on his\par
\pard\li90 lap. Then two wounded soldiers, both the same, standing side\par
\pard\li85\sl15\slmult0 by side.\par
\pard\li300\sl10\slmult0 "That's variety One. The Wounded Soldier." Klaus\par
\pard reached out and took the pictures. "You see, the claws were\fs24\par
\pard\li40\fs18 designed to get to human beings. To find them. Each kind\par
\pard\li40\sl55\slmult0 was better than the last. They got farther, closer past most of\par
\pard\li35\sl10\slmult0 our defences, into our lines. But as long as they were merely\par
\pard\li30\i machines,\i0 metal spheres with claws and horns, feelers, they\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 could be picked off like any other object. They could be de-\par
tected as lethal robots as soon as they were seen. Once\par
\pard\li35\sl55\slmult0 we caught sight of them"\par
\pard\li245 "Variety One subverted our whole north wing," Rudi said.\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 "It was a long time before anyone caught on. Then it was\par
\pard\li30\sl30\slmult0 too late. They came in, wounded soldiers, knocking and beg-\par
\pard\li35 ging to be let in. So we let them in. And as soon as they\par
\pard\li30\sl60\slmult0 were in they took over. We were watching out for ma-\par
\pard\li25 chines ..."\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "At that time it was thought there was only the one type,"\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 Klaus Epstein said. "No one suspected there were other types.\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 The pictures were flashed to us. When the runner was sent to\par
\pard\li25\sl50\slmult0 you, we knew of just one type. Variety One. The big Wound-\par
\pard\li30 ed Soldier. We thought that was all."\par
\pard\li235\sl10\slmult0 "Your line fell to"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "To Variety Three. David and his bear. That worked even\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 better." Klaus smiled bitterly. "Soldiers are suckers for chil-\par
\pard\li30\sl25\slmult0 dren. We brought them in and tried to feed them. We found\par
\pard\li25\sl30\slmult0 out the hard way what they were after. At least those who\par
\pard\li20\sl45\slmult0 were in the bunker."\par
\pard\li230 "The three of us were lucky," Rudi said. "Klaus and I\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 werewere visiting Tasso when it happened. This is her\par
\pard\li15 place." He waved a big hand around. "This little cellar. We\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 finished and climbed the ladder to start back. From the ridge\par
\pard\li15\sl60\slmult0 we saw. There they were, all around the bunker. Fighting was\par
\pard\li20 still going on. David and his bear. Hundreds of them. Klaus\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 took the pictures."\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 Klaus tied up the photographs again.\par
\pard\li220\sl260\slmult0 "And it's going on all along your line?" Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "How about \i our\i0 lines?" Without thinking, he touched the\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 tab on Ms arm. "Can they"\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "They're not bothered by your radiation tabs. It makes no\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 difference to them, Russian, American, Pole, German. It's all\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 the same. They're doing what they were designed to do. Car-\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 rying out the original idea. They track down life, wherever\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 they find it."\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "They go by warmth," Klaus said. "That was the way you\par
\pard constructed them from the very start. Of course, those you\fs24\par
\fs18 designed were kept back by the radiation tabs you wear.\par
\pard\sl30\slmult0 Now they've got around that. These new varieties are lead-\par
\pard\li5\sl5\slmult0 lined."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "What's the other variety?" Hendricks asked. "The David\par
\pard\li5\sl35\slmult0 type, The Wounded Soldierwhat's the other?"\par
\pard\li225 "We don't know." Klaus pointed up at the wall. On the\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 wall were two metal plates, ragged at the edges. Hendricks\par
\pard\li20\sl35\slmult0 got up and studied them. They were bent and dented.\par
\pard\li225 "The one on the left came off a Wounded Soldier," Rudi\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 said. "We got one of them. It was going along towards our\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 old bunker. We got it from the ridge, the same way we got\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 the David tagging you."\par
\pard\li225\sl5\slmult0 The plate was stamped: I-V. Hendricks touched the other\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 plate. "And this came from the David type?"\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 "Yes." The plate was stamped: III-V.\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 Klaus took a look at them, leaning over Hendricks' broad\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 shoulder. "You can see what we're up against. There's anoth-\par
\pard\li25\sl60\slmult0 er type. Maybe it was abandoned. Maybe it didn't work. But\par
\pard\li30 there must be a Second Variety. There's One and Three."\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 "You were lucky," Rudi said. "The David tagged you all the\par
\pard\li35\sl55\slmult0 way here and never touched you. Probably thought you'd get\par
\pard\li30 it into a bunker, somewhere."\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "One gets in and it's all over," Klaus said. "They move\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 fast. One lets all the rest inside. They're inflexible. Machines\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 with one purpose. They were built for only one thing."\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 He rubbed sweat from his lip. "We saw."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 They were silent.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "Let me have another cigarette, Yank," Tasso said. "They\par
\pard\li30\sl55\slmult0 are good. I almost forgot how they were."\par
\pard\li225\sl185\slmult0 It was night. The sky was black. No stars were visible\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 through the rolling clouds of ash. Klaus lifted the lid cau-\par
tiously so that Hendricks could look out.\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 Rudi pointed into the darkness. "Over that way are the\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 bunkers. Where we used to be. Not over a half a mile from\par
\pard\li30\sl60\slmult0 us. It was just chance Klaus and I were not there when it\par
\pard\li35 happened. Weakness. Saved by our lusts."\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "All the rest must be dead," Klaus said in a low voice. "It\par
\pard\li35\sl60\slmult0 came quickly. This morning the Politburo reached their deci-\par
\pard\li20 sion. They notified usforward comamnd. Our runner was\par
\pard\li25\sl35\slmult0 sent out at once. We saw him start towards the direction of\par
\pard\li35\sl40\slmult0 your lines. We covered him until he was out of sight."\par
\pard\li235 "Alex Radrivsky. We both knew him. He disappeared about\par
\pard six o'clock. The sun had just come up. About noon Klaus and\fs24\par
\pard\li30\fs18 I had an hour relief. We crept off, away from the bunkers.\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 No one was watching. We came here. There used to be a\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 town here, a few houses, a street. This cellar was part of a\par
\pard\li20 big farmhouse. We knew Tasso would be here, hiding down\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 in her little place. We had come here before. Others from the\par
bunkers came here. Today happened to be our turn."\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "So we were saved," Klaus said. "Chance. It might have\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 been others. \i We\i0 we finished, and then we came up to\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 the surface and started back along the ridge. That was when we\par
\pard\li25\sl50\slmult0 saw them, the Davids. We understood right away. We had\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 seen the photos of the First Variety, the Wounded Soldier.\par
\pard\li30 Our Commissar distributed them to us with an explanation.\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 If we had gone another step they would have seen us. As it\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 was we had to blast two Davids before we got back. There\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 were hundreds of them, all around. Like ants. We took\par
\pard\li20 pictures and slipped back here, bolting the lid tight."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "They're not so much when you catch them alone. We\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 moved faster than they did. But they're inexorable. Not like\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 living things. They came right at us. And we blasted them."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 Major Hendricks rested against the edge of the lid adjusting\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 his eyes to the darkness. "Is it safe to have the lid up at all?"\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "If we're careful. How else can you operate your trans-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 mitter?"\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks lifted the small belt transmitter slowly. He\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 pressed it against his ear. The metal was cold and damp. He\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 blew against the mike, raising up the short antenna. A faint\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 hum sounded in his ear. "That's true, I suppose."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 But he still hesitated.\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "We'll pull you under if anything happens," Klaus said.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Thanks." Hendricks waited a moment, resting the trans-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 mitter against his shoulder. "Interesting, isn't it?"\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "What?"\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "This, the new types. The new varieties of claws. We're\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 completely at their mercy, aren't we? By now they've prob-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 ably gotten into the UN lines, too. It makes me wonder if\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 we're not seeing the beginning of a new species. The new\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 species. Evolution. The race to come after man."\par
\pard\li215\sl220\slmult0 Rudi grunted. "There is no race after man."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "No? Why not? Maybe we're seeing it now, the end of\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 human beings, the beginning of the new society."\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "They're not a race. They're mechanical killers. You made\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 them to destroy. That's all they can do. They're machines\par
\pard with a job."\fs24\par
\pard\li190\fs18 "So it seems now. But how about later on? After the war\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 is over. Maybe, when there aren't any humans to destroy,\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 their real potentialities wHI begin to show."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "You talk as if they were alivel"\par
\pard\li215\sl5\slmult0 "Aren't they?"\par
\pard\li215\sl25\slmult0 There was silence. "They're machines," Rudi said. "They\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 look like people, but they're machines."\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "Use your transmitter, Major," Klaus said. "We can't stay\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 up here forever."\par
\pard\li245 Holding the transmitter tightly Hendricks called the code\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 of the command bunker. He waited, listening. No response.\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 Only silence. He checked the leads carefully. Everything was\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 in place.\par
\pard\li245 "Scott!" he said into the mike. "Can you hear me?"\par
\pard\li250\sl20\slmult0 Silence. He raised the mast up full and tried again. Only\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 static.\par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 "I don't get anything. They may hear me but they may\par
\pard\li60\sl35\slmult0 not want to answer."\par
\pard\li270 "Tell them it's an emergency."\par
\pard\li265\sl10\slmult0 "They'll think I'm being forced to call. Under your direc-\par
\pard\li70\sl25\slmult0 tion." He tried again, outlining briefly what he had learned.\par
But still the phone was silent, except for the faint static.\par
\pard\li280 "Radiation pools kill most transmission," Klaus said, aft-\par
\pard\li80\sl65\slmult0 er awhile. "Maybe that's it."\par
\pard\li280 Hendricks shut the transmitter up. "No use. No answer.\par
\pard\li80\sl25\slmult0 Radiation pools? Maybe. Or they hear me, but won't answer.\par
\pard\li80\sl15\slmult0 Frankly, that's what I would do, if a runner tried to call\par
\pard\li85\sl25\slmult0 from the Soviet lines. They have no reason to believe such a\par
\pard\li75\sl30\slmult0 story. They may hear everything I say"\par
\pard\li290 "Or maybe it's too late."\par
\pard\li280\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks nodded.\par
\pard\li295\sl25\slmult0 "We better get the lid down," Rudi said nervously. "We\par
\pard\li90\sl15\slmult0 don't want to take unnecessary chances."\par
\pard\li285\sl215\slmult0 They climbed slowly back down the tunnel. Klaus bolted\par
\pard\li95\sl20\slmult0 the lid carefully into place. They descended into the kitch-\par
\pard\li95\sl60\slmult0 en. The air was heavy and close around them.\par
\pard\li310 "Could they work that fast?" Hendricks said. "I left the\par
\pard\li95\sl15\slmult0 bunker this noon. Ten hours ago. How could they move so\par
\pard\li105\sl20\slmult0 quickly?"\par
\pard\li310\sl20\slmult0 "It doesn't take them long. Not after the first one gets in.\par
\pard\li105\sl20\slmult0 It goes wild. You know what the little claws can do.\par
\pard\li110\sl20\slmult0 Even \i one\i0 of these is beyond belief. Razors, each finger. Ma-\par
\pard niacal."\fs24\par
\pard\li245\fs18 "All right." Hendricks moved away impatiently. He stood\par
\pard\li45\sl30\slmult0 with his back to them. \i '\i0\par
\pard\li245\sl5\slmult0 "What's the matter?" Rudi said.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "The Moon Base. God, if they've gotten there"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "The Moon Base?"\par
Hendricks turned around. "They couldn't have got to the\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 Moon base. How would they get there? It isn't possible. I\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 can't believe it."\par
\pard\li235\sl5\slmult0 "Wh~t is this Moon Base? We've heard rumours, but\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 nothing definite. What is the actual situation? You seem\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 concerned."\par
\pard\li230\sl10\slmult0 "We're supplied from the moon. The governments are\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 there, under the lunar surface. All our people and industries.\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 That's what keeps us going. If they should find some way\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 of getting off Terra, on to the moon"\par
\pard\li235\sl10\slmult0 "It only takes one of them. Once the first one gets in it\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 admits the others. Hundreds of them, all alike. You should\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 have seen them. Identical. Like ants."\par
\pard\li230\sl10\slmult0 "Perfect socialism," Tasso said. "The ideal of the Com-\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 munist state. All citizens interchangeable."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 Klaus grunted angrily. "That's enough. Well? What next?"\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 Hendricks paced back and forth, around the small room.\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 The air was full of smells of food and perspiration. The\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 others watched him. Presently Tasso pushed through the cur-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 tain, into the other room. "I'm going to take a nap."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 The curtain closed behind her. Rudi and Klaus sat down\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 at the table, still watching Hendricks. "It's up to you," Klaus\par
\pard\li15\sl5\slmult0 said. "We don't know your situation."\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks nodded.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "It's a problem." Rudi drank some coffee, filling his cup\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 from a rusty pot. "We're safe here for a while, but we can't\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 stay here forever. Not enough food or supplies."\par
\pard\li215 "But if we go outside"\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "If we go outside they'll get us. Or probably they'll get us.\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 We couldn't go very far. How far is your command bunker,\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 Major?"\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "What if they're already there?" Klaus said.\par
Rudi shrugged. "Well, then we come back here."\par
\pard\li210\sl225\slmult0 Hendricks stopped pacing. "What do you think the chances\par
\pard\li10\sl65\slmult0 are they're already in the American lines?"\par
\pard\li210 "Hard to say. Fairly good. They're organized. They know\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 exactly what they're doing. Once they start they go like a horde\par
\pard of locusts. They have to keep moving, and fast. It's secrecy\fs24\par
\fs18 and speed they depend on. Surprise. They push their way in\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 before anyone has any idea."\par
\pard\li205\sl20\slmult0 "I see," Hendricks murmured.\par
\pard\li200\sl10\slmult0 From the other room Tasso stirred. "Major?"\par
\pard\li200\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks pushed the curtain back. "What?"\par
\pard\li205\sl25\slmult0 Tasso looked up at him lazily from the cot. "Have you\par
\pard\li20\sl55\slmult0 any more American cigarettes left?"\par
\pard\li215 Hendricks went into the room and sat down across from\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 her, on a wood stool. He felt in his pockets. "No. All\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 gone."\par
\pard\li220\sl25\slmult0 "Too bad."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 "What nationality are you?" Hendricks asked after a\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 while.\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 "Russian."\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "How did you get here?"\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 "Here?"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "This used to be France. This was part of Normandy.\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 Did you come with the Soviet army?"\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 "Why?"\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "Just curious." He studied her. She had taken off her coat,\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 tossing it over the end of the cot. She was young, about\par
\pard\li25\sl30\slmult0 twenty. Slim. Her long hair stretched out over the pillow.\par
\pard\li25 She was staring at him silently, her eyes dark and large.\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "What's on your mind?" Tasso said.\par
"Nothing. How old are you?"\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "Eighteen." She continued to watch him, unblinking, her\par
\pard\li30\sl60\slmult0 arms behind his head. She had on Russian army pants and\par
\pard\li35 shirt. Grey-green. Thick leather belt with counter and car-\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 tridges. Medicine kit.\par
\pard\li230\sl10\slmult0 "You're in the Soviet army?"\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "Where did you get the uniform?"\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 She shrugged. "It was given to me," she told him.\par
\pard\li230\sl5\slmult0 "Howhow old were you when you came here?"\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "Sixteen."\par
"That young?"\par
Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"\par
\pard\li240\sl210\slmult0 Hendricks rubbed his jaw. "Your life would have been a\par
\pard\li35\sl25\slmult0 lot different if there had been no war. Sixteen. You came\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 here at sixteen. To live this way."\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "I had to survive."\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0 "I'm not moralizing."\par
\pard "Your life would have been different, too," Tasso mur-\fs24\par
\pard\li10\fs18 mured. She reached down and unfastened one of her boots.\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 She kicked the boot off, on to the floor. "Major, do you want\par
\pard\li10\sl40\slmult0 to go in the other room? I'm sleepy."\par
\pard\li215 "It's going to be a problem, the four of us here. It's\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 going to be hard to live in these quarters. Are there just\par
\pard\li5\sl35\slmult0 two rooms?"\par
\pard\li215 "Yes."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "How big was the cellar originally? Was it larger than this?\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 Are there other rooms filled up with debris? We might be\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 able to open one of them."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "Perhaps. I really don't know." Tasso loosened her belt.\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 She made herself comfortable on the cot, unbuttoning her\par
shirt. "You're sure you have no more cigarettes?"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "I had only the one pack."\par
\pard\li215\sl35\slmult0 "Too bad. Maybe if we get back to your bunker we can\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 find some." The other boot fell. Tasso reached up for the\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 light cord. "Good night."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "You're going to sleep?"\par
"That's right." '\par
\pard\li200\sl30\slmult0 The room plunged into darkness. Hendricks got up and\par
\pard\li5\sl25\slmult0 made his way past the curtain, into the kitchen.\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 And stopped, rigid.\par
\pard\li210\sl40\slmult0 Rudi stood against the wall, his feet \\yhite and gloaming.\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 His mouth opened and closed but no sounds came. Klaus\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 stood in front of him, the muzzle of his pistol in Rudi's\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 stomach. Neither of them moved. Klaus, his hand tight around\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 his gun, his features set. Rudi, pale and silent, spread-\par
\pard\li5\sl35\slmult0 eagled against the wall.\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "What" Hendricks muttered, but Klaus cut him off.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Be quiet, Major. Come over here. Your gun. Get out your\par
\pard\li5\sl35\slmult0 gun."\par
\pard\li205\sl20\slmult0 Hendricks drew his pistol. "What is it?" -\par
\pard\li210\sl25\slmult0 "Cover him." Klaus motioned him forward. "Beside me.\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 Hurry!"\par
\pard\li210\sl30\slmult0 Rudi moved a little, lowering his arms. He turned to Hen-\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 dricks, licking his lips. The whites of his eyes shone wildly.\par
\pard\li5\sl30\slmult0 Sweat dripped from his forehead, down his cheeks. He fixed\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 his gaze on Hendricks. "Major, he's gone insane. Stop him."\par
Rudi's voice was thin and hoarse, almost inaudible.\par
\pard\li215\sl40\slmult0 "What's going on?" Hendricks demanded.\par
\pard\li210\sl35\slmult0 Without lowering his pistol Klaus answered. "Major, re-\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 member our discussion? The Three Varieties? We knew about\par
\pard One and Three. But we didn't know about Two. At least, we\fs24\par
\pard\li15\fs18 didn't know before." Klaus' fingers tightened around the gun\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 butt. "We didn't know before, but we know now."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 He pressed the trigger. A burst of white heat rolled out of\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 the gun, licking around Rudi.\par
\pard\li205\sl5\slmult0 "Major, this is the Second Variety."\par
\pard\li200\sl230\slmult0 Tasso swept the curtain aside. "Klaus! What did you do?"\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 Klaus turned from the charred form, gradually sinking\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 down the wall on to the floor. "The Second Variety, Tasso.\par
Now we know. We have all three types identified. The dan-\par
\pard\li5\sl55\slmult0 ger is less. I"\par
\pard\li215 Tasso stared past him at the remains of Rudi, at the black-\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 ened, smouldering fragments and bits of cloth. "You killed\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 him."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 "Him? \i It,\i0 you mean. I was watching. I had a feeling, but\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 I wasn't sure. At least, I wasn't sure before. But this eve-\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 ning was certain." Klaus rubbed his pistol butt nervously.\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 "We're lucky. Don't you understand? Another hour and it\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 might"\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "You were \i certain?"\i0 Tasso pushed past him and bent down,\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 over the steaming remains on the floor. Her face became\par
\pard\li15 hard. "Major, see your yourself. Bones. Flesh."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks bent down beside her. The remains were human\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 remains. Seared flesh, charred bone fragments, part of a skull.\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 Ligaments, viscera, blood. Blood forming a pool against the\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 wall.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "No wheels," Tasso said calmly. She straightened up. "No\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 wheels, no parts, no relays. Not a claw. Not the Second\par
Variety." She folded her arms. "You're going to have to be\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 able to explain this."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 Klaus sat down at the table, all the colour drained sud-\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 denly from his face. He put his head in his hands and\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 rocked back and forth.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "Snap out of it." Tasso's fingers closed over his shoulder.\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 "Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?"\par
\pard\li260\sl20\slmult0 "He was frightened," Hendricks said. "All this, the\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 whole thing, building up around us."\par
\pard\li235\sl10\slmult0 "Maybe."\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "What, then? What do you think?"\par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 "I think he may have had a reason for killing Rudi. A\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 good reason."\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "What reason?"\par
\pard\li235\sl10\slmult0 "Maybe Rudi learned something."\par
\pard Hendricks studied her bleak face. "About what?" he asked.\fs24\par
\pard\li240\fs18 "About him. About Klaus."\par
\pard\li230\sl225\slmult0 Klaus looked up quickly. "You can see what she's try-\par
\pard\li25\sl5\slmult0 ing to say. She thinks I'm the Second Variety. Don't you\par
\pard\li20\sl60\slmult0 see. Major? Now she wants you to believe I killed him on\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 purpose. That I'm"\par
\pard\li230 "Why did you kill him, then?" Tasso said.\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "I told you." Klaus shook his head wearily. "I thought he\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 was a claw. I thought I knew."\par
\pard\li225 "Why?"\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "I had been watching him. I was suspicious."\par
"Why?"\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "I thought I had something. Heard something. I thought\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 I heard him\i whirr."\i0\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 There was silence.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "Do you believe that?" Tasso said to Hendricks.\par
"Yes. I believe what he says."\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "I don't. I think he killed Rudi for a good purpose." Tasso\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 touched the rifle, resting in the comer of the room. "Ma-\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 jor"\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "No." Hendricks shook his head. "Let's stop it right now.\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 One is enough. We're afraid, the way he was. If we kill him\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 we'll be doing what he did to Rudi."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 Klaus looked gratefully up at him. "Thanks. I was afraid.\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 You understand, don't you? Now she's afraid, the way I was.\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 She wants to kill me."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "No more killing." Hendricks moved towards the end of\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 the ladder. "I'm going above and try the transmitter once\par
\pard\li10\sl65\slmult0 more. If I can't get them we're moving back towards my\par
\pard\li10 lines tomorrow morning."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 Klaus rose quickly. "I'll come up with you and give you\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 a hand."\par
\pard\li210 The night air was cold. The earth was cooling off. Klaus\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 took a deep breath, filling his lungs. He and Hendricks\par
stepped on to the ground, out of the tunnel. Klaus planted\par
\pard\li10\sl5\slmult0 his feet wide apart, the rifle up, watching and listening.\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 Hendricks crouched by the tunnel mouth, turning the small\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 transmitter.\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "Any luck?" Klaus asked presently.\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "Not yet."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "Keep trying. Tell them what happened."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 Hendricks kept trying. Without success. Finally he lowered\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 the antenna. "It's useless. They can't hear me. Or they hear\par
\pard me and won't answer. Or"\fs24\par
\pard\li215\b\fs18 "Or\b0 they don't exist."\par
\pard\li200\sl15\slmult0 "I'll try once more." Hendricks raised the antenna. "Scott,\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 can you hear me? Come in!"\par
\pard\li205 He listened. There was only static. Then, still very faint-\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 ly\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "This is Scott."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 His fingers tightened. "Scott! Is it you?"\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "This is Scott."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 Klaus squatted down. "Is it your command?"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Scott, listen. Do you understand? About them, the claws.\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 Did you get my message? Did you hear me?"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Yes." Faintly. Almost inaudible. He could hardly make\par
\pard\li20\sl35\slmult0 out the word.\par
\pard\li230 "You got my message? Is everything all right at the bunk-\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 er? None of them have got in?"\par
\pard\li235\sl5\slmult0 "Everything is all right."\par
\pard\li240\sl25\slmult0 "Have they tried to get in?"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 The voice was weaker."\par
"No."\par
\pard\li235\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks turned to Klaus. "They're all right."\par
\pard\li240\sl30\slmult0 "Have they been attacked?"\par
\pard\li245\sl10\slmult0 "No." Hendricks pressed the phone tighter to his ear. "Scott,\par
\pard\li45\sl25\slmult0 I can hardly hear you. Have you notified the Moon Base?\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 Do they know? Are they alerted?"\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 No answer.\par
\pard\li250\sl10\slmult0 "Scott! Can you hear me?"\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0 Silence.\par
\pard\li255\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks relaxed, sagging. "Faded out. Must be radiation\par
\pard\li50\sl25\slmult0 pools."\par
\pard\li270\sl215\slmult0 Hendricks and Klaus looked at each other. Neither of them\par
\pard\li60\sl25\slmult0 said anything. After a time Klaus said, "Did it sound like\par
\pard\li70\sl60\slmult0 any of your men? Could you identify the voice?"\par
\pard\li270 "It was too faint."\par
\pard\li275\sl10\slmult0 "You couldn't be certain?"\par
\pard\li270\sl10\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li280\sl20\slmult0 "Then it could have been"\par
\pard\li285\sl15\slmult0 "I don't know. Now I'm not sure. Let's go back down and\par
\pard\li85\sl35\slmult0 get the lid closed."\par
\pard\li275 They climbed back down the ladder slowly into the warm\par
\pard\li85\sl15\slmult0 cellar. Klaus bolted the lid behind them. Tasso waited for\par
\pard\li85\sl20\slmult0 them, her face expressionless.\par
\pard\li290\sl15\slmult0 "Any luck?" she asked.\par
\pard Neither of them answered. "Well?" Klaus said at last.\fs24\par
\pard\li15\fs18 "What do you think. Major? Was it your officer, or was it\par
\pard\sl60\slmult0 one of \i them?"\i0\par
\pard\li215 "I don't know."\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "Then we're just where we were before."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks stared down at the floor, his jaw set. "We'll have\par
\pard\sl35\slmult0 to go. To be sure."\par
\pard\li215 "Anyhow, we have food here for only a few weeks. We'd\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 have to go up after that, in any case."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Apparently so."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "What's wrong?" Tasso demanded. "Did you get across to\par
\pard\li5\sl60\slmult0 your bunker? What's the matter?"\par
\pard\li220 "It may have been one of my men," Hendricks said\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 slowly. "Or it may have been one of \i them.\i0 But we'll never\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 know standing here." He examined his watch. "Let's turn\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 in and get some sleep. We want to be up early tomorrow."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Early?"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0\b "Our\b0 best chance to get through the claws should be early\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 in the morning," Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 The morning was crisp and clear. Major Hendricks studied\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 the countryside through his field-glasses.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "See anything?" Klaus said.\par
"No."\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "Can you make out our bunkers?"\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 "Which way?"\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Here." Klaus took the glasses and adjusted them. "I know\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 where to look." He looked a long time, silently.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 Tasso came to the top of the tunnel and stepped up on\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 to the ground. "Anything?"\par
\pard\li225\sl5\slmult0 "No." Klaus passed the glasses back to Hendricks. "They're\par
\pard\li20\sl35\slmult0 out of sight. Come on. Let's not stay here."\par
\pard\li220 The three of them made their way down the side of the\par
\pard\li20\sl20\slmult0 ridge, sliding in the soft ash. Across a flat rock a lizard scut-\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 tled. They stopped instantly, rigid.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "What was it?" Klaus muttered.\par
"A lizard."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 The lizard ran on, hurrying through the ash. It was ex-\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 actly the same colour as the ash.\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "Perfect adaptation," Klaus said. "Proves we were right.\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 Lysenko, I mean."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 They reached the bottom of the ridge and stopped, stand-\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 ing close together, looking around them.\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "Let's go." Hendricks started off. "It's a good long trip,\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 on foot."\par
\pard Klaus fell in beside him. Tasso walked behind, her pistol\fs24\par
\fs18 held alertly. "Major, I've been meaning to ask you some-\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 thing," Klaus said. "How did you run across the David? The\par
\pard\li5\sl55\slmult0 one that was tagging you."\par
\pard\li210 "I met it along the way. In some ruins."\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "What did it say?"\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "Not much. It said it was alone. By itself."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "You couldn't tell it was a machine? It talked like a liv-\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 ing person? You never suspected?"\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "It didn't say much. I noticed nothing unusual."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "It's strange, machines so much like people that you can\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 be fooled. Almost alive. I wonder where it'll end."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "They're doing what you Yanks designed them to do,"\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 Tasso said. "You designed them to hunt out life and de-\par
\pard\li30\sl35\slmult0 stroy. Human life. Wherever they find it."\par
\pard\li220 Hendricks was watching Klaus intently. "Why did you ask\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 me? What's on your mind?"\par
\pard\li230\sl5\slmult0 "Nothing," Klaus answered.\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 "Klaus thinks you're the Second Variety," Tasso said calm-\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 ly, from behind them. "Now he's got bis eye on you."\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 Klaus flushed. "Why not? We sent a runner to the Yank\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 lines and he comes back. Maybe he thought he'd find some\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 good game here."\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks laughed harshly. "I came from the UN bunkers.\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 There were human beings all around me."\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "Maybe you saw an' opportunity to get into the Soviet lines.\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 Maybe you saw your chance. Maybe you"\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "The Soviet lines had already been taken over. Your lines\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 had been invaded before I left my command bunker. Don't\par
forget that."\par
\pard\li235\sl10\slmult0 Tasso came up beside him. "That proves nothing at all,\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 Major."\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 "Why not?"\par
"There appears to be little communication between the\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 varieties. Each is made in a different factory. They don't\par
\pard\li50\sl55\slmult0 seem to work together. You might have started for the Soviet\par
\pard\li50 lines without knowing anything about the work of the other\par
\pard\li50\sl15\slmult0 varieties. Or even what the other varieties were like."\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "How do you know so much about the claws?" Hendricks\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 said.\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "I've seen them. I've observed them. I observed them take\par
\pard\li55\sl60\slmult0 over the Soviet bunkers."\par
\pard\li265 "You know quite a lot," Klaus said. "Actually, you saw\par
\pard\li60\sl50\slmult0 very little. Strange that you should have been such an acute\par
\pard observer."\fs24\par
\pard\li265\fs18 Tasso laughed. "Do you suspect me, now?"\par
\pard\li265\sl15\slmult0 "Forget it," Hendricks said. They walked on in silence.\par
\pard\li265\sl10\slmult0 "Are we going the whole way on foot?" Tasso said, after\par
\pard\li60\sl60\slmult0 a while. "I'm not used to walking." She gazed around at the\par
\pard\li60 plain of ash, stretching OU\\f on all sides of them, as far as\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 they could see. "How dreary."\par
\pard\li265\sl15\slmult0 "It's like this all the way," Klaus said. \par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 "In a way I wish you had been in your bunker when the\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 attack came."\par
\pard\li260\sl15\slmult0 "Somebody else would have been with you, if not me,"\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 Klaus muttered.\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 Tasso laughed, putting her hands in her pockets. "I sup-\par
\pard\li45\sl55\slmult0 pose so."\par
\pard\li255 They walked on, keeping their eyes on the vast plain of\par
\pard\li50\sl15\slmult0 silent ash around them.\par
\pard\li245\sl225\slmult0 The sun was setting. Hendricks made his way forward\par
\pard\li40\sl10\slmult0 slowly, waving Tasso and Klaus back. Klaus squatted down,\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 resting his gun butt against the ground.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 Tasso found a concrete slab and sat down with a sigh.\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 "It's good to rest."\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "Be quiet," Klaus said sharply.\par
\pard ~ Hendricks pushed up to the top of the rise ahead of\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 them. The same rise the Russian runner had come up, the\par
\pard\li45\sl25\slmult0 day before. Hendricks dropped down, stretching himself out,\par
\pard\li40\sl10\slmult0 peering through his glasses at what lay beyond.\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0 Nothing was visible. Only ash and occasional trees. But\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 there, not more than fifty yards ahead, was the entrance of\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 the forward command bunker. The bunker from which he\par
\pard\li40\sl10\slmult0 had come. Hendricks watched silently. No motion. No sign of\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 life. Nothing stirred.\par
\pard\li250\sl20\slmult0 Klaus slithered up beside him. "Where is it?"\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "Down there." Hendricks passed him the glasses. Clouds of\par
\pard\li40\sl10\slmult0 ash rolled across the evening sky. The world was darkening.\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 They had a couple of hours of light left, at the most. Prob-\par
\pard\li45\sl10\slmult0 ably not that much.\par
\pard\li250\sl25\slmult0 "I don't see anything," Klaus said.\par
\pard\li250\sl10\slmult0 "That tree there. The stump. By the pile of bricks. The\par
\pard\li40\sl35\slmult0 entrance is to the right of the bricks."\par
\pard\li255 "I'll have to take your word for it."\par
\pard\li255\sl20\slmult0 "You and Tasso cover me from here. You'll be able to\par
\pard\li40\sl10\slmult0 sight all the way to the bunker entrance."\par
\pard\li255\sl20\slmult0 "You're going down alone?"\par
\pard "With my wrist tab I'll be safe. The ground around the\fs24\par
\pard\li5\fs18 bunker \i is\i0 a living field of claws. They collect down in the\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 ash. Like crabs. Without tabs you wouldn't have a chance."\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "Maybe you're right."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "I'll walk slowly all the way. As soon' as I know for cer-\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 tain"\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "If they're down inside the bunker you won't be able to get\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 back up here. They go fast. You don't realize."\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "What do you suggest?"\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 Klaus considered. "I don't know. Get them to come up\par
\pard\li5\sl35\slmult0 to the surface. So you can see."\par
\pard\li205 Hendricks brought his transmitter from his belt, raising\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 the antenna. "Let's get started."\par
\pard\li210\sl220\slmult0 Klaus signalled to Tasso. She crawled expertly up the side\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 of the rise to where they were sitting.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "He's going down alone," Klaus said. "We'll cover him\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 from here. As soon as you see him start back, fire past him\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 at once. They come quick."\par
\pard\li220 "You're not very optimistic," Tasso said.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "No, I'm not."\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks opened the breech of his gun, checking it\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 carefully. "Maybe things are all right."\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "You didn't see them. Hundreds of them. All the same.\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 Pouring out like ants."\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "I should be able to find out without going down all the\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 way." Hendricks locked his gun, gripping it in one hand,\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 the transmitter in the other. "Well, wish me luck."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 Klaus put out his hand. "Don't go down until you're sure.\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 Talk to them from up here. Make them show themselves."\par
\pard\li215\sl215\slmult0 Hendricks stood up. He stepped down the side of the rise.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 A moment later he was walking slowly towards the pile of\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 bricks and debris beside the dead tree stump. Towards the\par
\pard\li25\sl35\slmult0 entrance of the forward command bunker.\par
\pard\li225 Nothing stilred. He raised the transmitter, clicking it on.\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 "Scott? Can you hear me?"\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 Silence.\par
\pard\li235\sl15\slmult0 "Scott! This is Hendricks. Can you hear me? I'm standing\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 outside the bunker. You should be able to see me in the view\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 sight."\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 He listened, the transmitter gripped tightly. No sound. Only\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 static. He walked forward. A claw burrowed out of the ash\par
\pard\li45\sl20\slmult0 and raced towards him, studied him intently, and then fell in\par
\pard behind him, dogging respectfully after him, a few paces\fs24\par
\pard\li185\fs18 away. A moment later a second big claw joined it. Silently,\par
\pard\li175 the claws trailed him, as he walked slowly towards the\par
\pard\li175\sl10\slmult0 bunker.\par
\pard\li375\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks stopped, and behind him, the claws came to a\par
\pard\li165\sl10\slmult0 halt. He was close now. Almost to the bunker steps.\par
\pard\li370\sl25\slmult0 "Scott! Can you hear me? I'm standing right above\par
\pard\li155\sl45\slmult0 you. Outside. On the surface. Are you picking me up?"\par
\pard\li355\sl195\slmult0 He waited, holding his gun against his side, the trans-\par
\pard\li150\sl10\slmult0 mitter tightly to his ear. Time passed. He strained to hear,\par
but there was only silence, and faint static.\par
\pard\li340\sl20\slmult0 Then, distantly, metallically\par
\pard\li350\sl20\slmult0 "This is Scott."\par
\pard\li340\sl15\slmult0 The voice was neutral. Cold. He could not identify it. But\par
\pard\li105\sl15\slmult0 ,the earphone was minute.\par
\pard\li340\sl15\slmult0 "Scott, listen. I'm standing right above you. I'm on the\par
\pard\li135\sl20\slmult0 surface, looking down into the bunker entrance."\par
\pard\li340\sl10\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li340\sl20\slmult0 "Can you see me?"\par
\pard\li335\sl10\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li340\sl20\slmult0 "Through the view sight? You have the sight trained on\par
\pard\li125\sl15\slmult0 me?"\par
\pard\li335\sl20\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li325\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks pondered. A circle of claws waited quietly on all\par
\pard\li125\sl15\slmult0 sides of him. "Is everything all right in the bunker? Noth-\par
\pard\li120\sl15\slmult0 ing unusual has happened?"\par
\pard\sl90\slmult0 - "Everything is all right."\par
\pard\li325 "Will you come up to the surface? I want to see you for a\par
\pard\li115\sl20\slmult0 moment." Hendricks took a deep breath. "Come up here\par
\pard\li115\sl10\slmult0 with me. I want to talk to you."\par
\pard\li325\sl20\slmult0 "Come down."\par
\pard\li330\sl20\slmult0 "I'm giving you an order."\par
\pard\li310\sl10\slmult0 Silence.\par
\pard\li325\sl15\slmult0 "Are you coming?" Hendricks listened. There was no re-\par
\pard\li110\sl50\slmult0 sponse. "I order you to come to the surface."\par
\pard\li320 "Come down."\par
\pard\li310\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks set bis jaw. "Let me talk to Leone."\par
\pard\li310\sl20\slmult0 There was a long \ul\b\i p\ulnone\b0 a\b u\ul\i0 s\b0 l\ulnone r He listened to the static. Then a\par
\pard\li110\sl15\slmult0 voice came, hard, thin, metallic. The same as the other.\par
\pard\li115\sl15\slmult0 "This is Leone."\par
\pard\li315\sl20\slmult0 "Hendricks. I'm on the surface. At the bunker entrance. I\par
\pard\li110\sl40\slmult0 want one of you to come up here."\par
\pard\li320 "Come down."\par
\pard "Why come down? I'm giving you an order!"\fs24\par
\pard\li210\fs18 Silence. Hendricks lowered the transmitter. He looked\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 carefully around him. The entrance was just ahead. Almost\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 at his feet. He lowered the antenna and fastened the trans-\par
\pard\li10 mitter to his belt. Carefully, he gripped his gun with both\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 hands. He moved forward, a step at a time. If they could see\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 him they knew he was starting towards the entrance. He\par
closed his eyes a moment.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 Then he put his foot on the first step that led downward.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 Two Davids came up at him, their faces identical and\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 expressionless. He blasted them into particles. More came\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 rushing silently up, a whole pack of them. All exactly the\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 same.\par
\pard\li210 Hendricks turned and raced back, away from the bunker,\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 back towards the rise.\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 At the top of the rise Tasso and Klaus were firing down.\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 The small claws were already streaking up toward them,\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 shining metal spheres going fast, racing frantically through\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 the ash. But he had no time to think about that. He knelt\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 down, aiming at the bunker entrance, gun against his cheek.\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 The Davids were coming out in groups, clutching their ted-\par
dy bears, their thin knobby legs pumping as they ran up the\par
\pard\li20\sl35\slmult0 steps to the surface. Hendricks fired into the main body of\par
\pard\li15 them. They burst apart, wheels and springs flying in all di-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 rections. He fired again, through the mist of particles.\par
\pard\li215\sl30\slmult0 A giant lumbering figure rose up in the bunker entrance,\par
\pard\li5\sl25\slmult0 tall and swaying. Hendricks paused, amazed. A man, a sol-\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 dier. With one leg, supporting himself with a crutch.\par
\pard\li215\sl35\slmult0 "Major!" Tasso's voice came. More firing. The huge figure\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 moved forward, Davids swarming around it. Hendricks broke\par
\pard\li5\sl45\slmult0 out of his freeze. The First Variety. The Wounded Soldier.\par
\pard\li5 He aimed and fired. The soldier burst into bits, parts and\par
\pard\sl30\slmult0 relays flying. Now many Davids were out on the flat\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 ground, away from the bunker. He fired again and again,\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 moving slowly back, half-crouching and aiming.\par
\pard\li205\sl35\slmult0 From the rise, Klaus fired down. The side of the rise was\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 alive with claws making their way up. Hendricks retreated to-\par
\pard\li5\sl30\slmult0 wards the rise, running and crouching. Tasso had left Klaus\par
\pard\li20\sl30\slmult0 and was circling slowly to the right, moving away from\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 the rise.\par
\pard\li205\sl35\slmult0 A David slipped up towards him, its small white face ex-\par
\pard\li10\sl30\slmult0 pressionless, brown hair hanging down in its eyes. It bent\par
\pard\li15\sl65\slmult0 over suddenly, opening its arms. Its teddy bear hurtled down\par
\pard and leaped across the ground, bounding towards him. Hen-\fs24\par
\fs18 dricks fired. The bear and the David both dissolved. He\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 grinned, blinking. It was like a dream.\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "Up here!" Tasso's voice. Hendricks made his way to-\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 wards her. She was over by some columns of concrete, walls\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 of a ruined building. She was firing past him, with the\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 hand pistol Klaus had given her.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "Thanks." He joined her, gasping for breath. She pulled\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 him back, behind the concrete, fumbling at her belt.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "Close your eyes!" She unfastened a globe from her waist.\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 Rapidly, she unscrewed the cap, locking it into place. "Close\par
\pard\li5\sl60\slmult0 your eyes and get down."\par
\pard\li215\sl190\slmult0 She threw the bomb. It sailed in an arc, an expert, roll-\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 ing and bouncing to the entrance of the bunker. Two\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 Wounded Soldiers stood uncertainly by the brick pile. More\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 Davids poured from behind them, out on to the plain. One of\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 the Wounded Soldiers moved towards the bomb, stooping\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 awkwardly down to pick it up.\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 The bomb went off. The concussion whirled Hendricks\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 around, throwing him on his face. A hot wind rolled over\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 him. Dimly he saw Tasso standing behind the columns, firing\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 slowly and methodically at the Davids coming out of the rag-\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 ing clouds of white fire.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 Back along the rise Klaus struggled with a ring of claws\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 circling around him. He retreated, blasting at them and\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 moving back, trying to break through the ring.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks struggled to his feet. His head ached. He could\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 hardly see. Everything was licking at him, raging and whirl-\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 ing. His right arm would not move.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 Tasso pulled back toward him. "Come on. Let's go."\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "KlausHe's still up there."\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "Come on!" Tasso dragged Hendricks back, away from\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 the columns. Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it.\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 Tasso led him rapidly away, her eyes intense and bright,\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 watching for claws that had escaped the blast.\par
\pard\li220\sl25\slmult0\b One\b0 David came out of the rolling clouds of flame. Tasso\par
\pard\li15\sl5\slmult0 blasted it. No more appeared.\par
\pard\li230\sl25\slmult0 "But Klaus. What about him?" Hendricks stopped, stand-\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 ing unsteadily. "He"\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "Come on!"\par
\pard\li220\sl225\slmult0 They retreated, moving farther and farther away from the\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 bunker. A few small claws followed them for a little while\par
\pard and then gave up, turning back and going off.\fs24\par
\pard\li200\fs18 At last Tasso stopped. "We can stop here and get our\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 breaths."\par
\pard\li210\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks sat down on some heaps of debris. He wiped\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 his neck, gasping. "We left Klaus back there."\par
\pard\li215\sl25\slmult0 Tasso said nothing. She opened her gun, sliding a fresh\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 round of blast cartridges into place.\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks stared at her, dazed. "You left him back there\par
\pard\li20\sl65\slmult0 on purpose."\par
\pard\li225 Tasso snapped the gun together. She studied the heaps of\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 rubble around them, her face expressionless. As if she were\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 watching for something.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "What is it?" Hendricks demanded. "What are you look-\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 ing for? Is something coming?" He shook his head, trying\par
\pard\li45\sl35\slmult0 to understand. What was she doing? What was she wait-\par
\pard\li45 ing for? He could see nothing. Ash lay all around them,\par
\pard\li50\sl20\slmult0 ash and ruins. Occasional stark tree trunks, without leaves\par
\pard\li40\sl55\slmult0 or branches. "What\par
\pard\li240 Tasso cut him off. "Be still." Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly\par
\pard\li50\sl10\slmult0 her gun-came up. Hendricks turned, following her gaze.\par
\pard\li250\sl220\slmult0 Back the way they had come a figure appeared. The figure\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 walked unsteadily toward them. Its clothes were torn. It\par
\pard\li40\sl20\slmult0 limped as it made its way along, going very slowly and care-\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 fully. Stopping now and then, resting and getting its strength.\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 Once it almost fell. It stood for a moment, trying to steady\par
\pard\li50\sl15\slmult0 itself. Then it came on.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 Klaus.\par
\pard\li240\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks stood up. "Klaus!" He started towards him.\par
\pard\li55\sl25\slmult0 "How the hell did you"\par
\pard\li250\sl20\slmult0 Tasso fired. Hendricks swung back. She fired again, the\par
\pard\li50\sl5\slmult0 blast passing him, a searing line of heat. The beam caught\par
\pard\li50\sl20\slmult0 Klaus in the chest. He exploded, gears and wheels flying.\par
For a moment he continued to walk. Then he swayed back\par
\pard\li60\sl15\slmult0 and forth. He crashed to the ground, his arms flung out. A\par
\pard\li60\sl10\slmult0 few more wheels rolled away.\par
\pard\li260\sl20\slmult0 Silence.\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 Tasso turned to Hendricks. "Now you understand why he\par
\pard\li50\sl10\slmult0 killed Rudi."\par
\pard\li255\sl20\slmult0 Hendricks sat down again slowly. He shook his head. He\par
\pard\li50\sl60\slmult0 was numb. He could not think.\par
\pard\li260 "Do you see?" Tasso said. "Do you understand?"\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks said nothing. Everything was slipping away from\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 him, faster and faster. Darkness, rolling and plucking at him.\par
\pard He closed his eyes.\fs24\par
\pard\li205\fs18 Hendricks opened his eyes slowly. His body ached all\par
\pard\sl65\slmult0 over. He tried to sit up but needles of pain shot through\par
\pard his arm and shoulder. He gasped.\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "Don't try to get up," Tasso said. She bent down, putting\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 her cold hand against his forehead.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 It was night. A few stars glinted above, shining through\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 the drifting clouds of ash. Hendricks lay back, his teeth\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 locked. Tasso watched him impassively. She had built a fire\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 with some wood and weeds. The fire licked feebly, hissing\par
\pard\li25\sl40\slmult0 at a metal cup suspended over it. Everything was silent. Un-\par
\pard\li20 moving darkness, beyond the fire.\par
\pard\li260\sl20\slmult0 "So he was the Second Variety," Hendricks murmured.\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "I had always thought so."\par
"Why didn't you destroy him sooner?" he wanted to know.\par
\pard\li250\sl10\slmult0 "You held me back." Tasso crossed to the fire to look\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 into the metal cup. "Coffee. It'll be ready to drink in a\par
while."\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 She came back and sat down beside him. Presently she\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 opened her pistol and began to disassemble the firing mech-\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 anism, studying it intently.\par
\pard\li255\sl10\slmult0 "This is a beautiful gun," Tasso said, half-aloud. "The\par
\pard\li60\sl25\slmult0 construction is superb."\par
\pard\li270\sl25\slmult0 "What about them? The claws."\par
\pard\li270\sl35\slmult0 "The concussion from the bomb put most of them out of\par
\pard\li65\sl20\slmult0 action. They're delicate. Highly organized, I suppose."\par
\pard\li270\sl20\slmult0 "The Davids, too?"\par
\pard\li265\sl25\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li275\sl30\slmult0 "How did you happen to have a bomb like that?"\par
\pard\li265\sl25\slmult0 Tasso shrugged. "We designed it. You shouldn't under-esti-\par
\pard\li70\sl45\slmult0 mate our technology. Major. Without such a bomb you and\par
\pard\li70\sl5\slmult0 I would no longer exist."\par
\pard\li280\sl25\slmult0 "Very useful."\par
\pard\li275\sl40\slmult0 Tasso stretched out her legs, warming her feet in the heat\par
\pard\li80\sl25\slmult0 of the fire. "It surprised me that you did not seem to under-\par
\pard\li75\sl25\slmult0 stand, after he killed Rudi. Why did you think he"\par
\pard\li290\sl30\slmult0 "I told you. I thought he was afraid."\par
\pard\li290\sl35\slmult0 "Really? You know. Major, for a little while I suspected\par
\pard\li85\sl65\slmult0 yow. Because you wouldn't let me kill him. I thought you\par
\pard\li85 might be protecting him." She laughed.\par
\pard\li290\sl30\slmult0 "Are we safe here?" Hendricks asked presently.\par
\pard\li295\sl35\slmult0 "For a while. Until they get reinforcements from some\par
\pard\li95\sl30\slmult0 other area." Tasso began to clean the interior of the gun\par
\pard with a bit of rag. She finished and pushed the mechanism\fs24\par
\fs18 back into place. She closed the gim, ninning her fingers along\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 the barrel.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "We were lucky," Hendricks murmured.\par
\pard\li200\sl10\slmult0 "Yes. Very lucky."\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 "Thanks for pulling me away."\par
\pard\li205\sl225\slmult0 Tasso did not answer. She glanced up at him, her eyes\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 bright in the fire light. Hendricks examined his arm. He could\par
\pard\li5\sl35\slmult0 not move his fingers. His whole side seemed numb. Down\par
\pard\li10 inside him was a dull steady ache.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "How do you feel?" Tasso asked.\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "My arm is damaged."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "Anything else?"\par
"Internal injuries."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "You didn't get down when the bomb went off."\par
Hendricks said nothing. He watched Tasso pour the coffee\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 from the cup into a flat metal pan. She brought it 'over to\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 him.\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 "Thanks." He struggled up enough to drink. It was hard\par
\pard\li15\sl35\slmult0 to swallow. His insides turned over and he pushed the pan\par
\pard\li15\sl40\slmult0 away. "That's all I can drink now."\par
\pard\li215 Tasso drank the rest. Time passed. The clouds of ash\par
\pard\li15\sl25\slmult0 moved across the dark sky above them. Hendricks rested,\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 his mind blank. After a while he became aware that Tasso\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 was standing over him, gazing down at him.\par
\pard\li210 "What is it?" he murmured.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Do you feel any better?"\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "Some."\par
"You know, Major, if I hadn't dragged you away they\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 would have got you. You would be dead. Like Rudi."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "I know."\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "Do you want to know why I brought you out? I could\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 have left you. I could have left you there."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "Why did you bring me out?"\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "Because we have to get away from here." Tasso stirred\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 the fire with a stick, peering calmly down into it. "No hu-\par
\pard\li5\sl55\slmult0 man being can live here. When their reinforcements come\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 we won't have a chance. I've pondered about it while you\par
were unconscious. We have perhaps three hours before they\par
\pard come."\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "And you expect me to get us away?"\par
\pard\li230\sl10\slmult0 "That's right. I expect you to get us out of here."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "Why me?"\par
\pard "Because I don't know any way." Her eyes shone at \ul hirn\ulnone\fs24\par
\fs18 in the half-light, bright and steady. "If you can't get us\par
\pard\sl35\slmult0 out of here they'll kill us within three hours. I see nothing\par
\pard else ahead. Well, Major? What are you going to do? I've\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 been waiting all night. While you were unconscious I sat\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 here, waiting and listening. It's almost dawn. The night is\par
almost over." i\par
\pard\li220\sl215\slmult0 Hendricks considered. "It's curious," he said at last.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 "Curious?"\par
\pard\li230\sl15\slmult0 "That you should think I can get us out of here. I won-\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 der what you think I can do."\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "Can you get us to the Moon Base?"\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 "The Moon Base? How?"\par
"There must be some way."\par
\pard\li250\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks shook his head. "No. There's no way that I\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 know of."\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0 Tasso said nothing. For a moment her steady gaze wav-\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 ered. She ducked her head, turning abruptly away. She\par
\pard\li45\sl10\slmult0 scrambled to her feet. "More coffee?"\par
\pard\li255\sl15\slmult0 "No."\par
\pard\li265\sl15\slmult0 "Suit yourself." Tasso drank silently. He could not see her\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 face. He lay back against the ground, deep in thought,\par
\pard\li65\sl20\slmult0 trying to concentrate. It was hard to think. His head still\par
\pard\li65\sl10\slmult0 hurt. And the numbing daze still hung over him.\par
\pard\li275\sl20\slmult0 "There might be one way," he said suddenly.\par
\pard\li275\sl15\slmult0 "Oh?"\par
\pard\li285\sl20\slmult0 "How soon is dawn?"\par
\pard\li285\sl10\slmult0 "Two hours. The sun wiH be coming up shortly."\par
\pard\li285\sl15\slmult0 "There's supposed to be a ship near here. I've never seen\par
\pard\li80\sl10\slmult0 it. But I know it exists."\par
\pard\li295\sl25\slmult0 "What kind of a ship?" Her voice was sharp.\par
\pard\li305\sl10\slmult0 "A rocket cruiser."\par
\pard\li300\sl20\slmult0 "Will it take us off? To the Moon Base?"\par
\pard\li305\sl15\slmult0 "It's supposed to. In case of emergency." He rubbed his\par
\pard\li90\sl10\slmult0 forehead.\par
\pard\li305\sl25\slmult0 "What's wrong?"\par
\pard\li305\sl15\slmult0 "My head. It's hard to think, lean hardlyhardly con-\par
\pard\li100\sl35\slmult0 centrate. The bomb."\par
\pard\li315 "Is the ship near here?" Tasso slid over beside him, set-\par
\pard\li110\sl15\slmult0 tling down on her haunches. "How far is it? Where is it?"\par
\pard\li320\sl20\slmult0 "I'm trying to think."\par
\pard\li325\sl20\slmult0 Her fingers dug into his arm. "Nearby?" Her voice was\par
\pard\li120\sl10\slmult0 like iron. "Where would it be? Would they store it under-\par
\pard ground? Hidden underground?"\fs24\par
\pard\li205\fs18 "Yes. In a storage locker."\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "How do we find it? Is it marked? Is there a code marker\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 to identify it?"\par
\pard\li205 Hendricks concentrated. "No. No markings. No code sym-\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 bol."\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 "What, then?"\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 "A sign."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "What sort of sign?"\par
\pard\li230\sl215\slmult0 Hendricks did not answer. In the flickering light his eyes\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 were glazed, two sightless orbs. Tasso's fingers dug into his\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 arm.\par
\pard\li215 "What sort of sign? What is it?"\par
\pard\li220\sl25\slmult0 "I1 can't think. Let me rest."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 "All right." She let go and stood up. Hendricks lay back\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 against the ground, his eyes closed. Tasso walked away\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 from him, her hands in her pockets. She kicked a rock out of\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 her way and stood staring up at the sky. The night blackness\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 was already beginning to fade into grey. Morning was com-\par
\pard\li20 ing.\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 Tasso gripped her pistol and walked around the fire in a\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 circle, back and forth. On the ground Major Hendricks lay,\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 his eyes closed, unmoving. The greyness rose in the sky,\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 higher and higher. The landscape became visible, fields of\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 ash stretching out in all directions. Ash and ruins of build-\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 ings, a wall here and 'there, heaps of concrete, the naked\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 trunk of a tree.\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 The air was cold and sharp. Somewhere a long way off\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 a bird made a few bleak sounds.\par
\pard\li210 Hendricks stirred. He opened his eyes. "Is it dawn? Al-\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 ready?"\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks sat up a little. "You wanted to know something.\par
\pard\li10\sl25\slmult0 You were asking me."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Do you remember now?"\par
\pard\li215\sl10\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "What is it?" She tensed. "What?" she repeated sharply.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "A well. A ruined well. It's in a storage locker under a\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 well."\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "A well." Tasso relaxed. "Then we'll find a well." She\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 looked at her watch. "We have about an hour, Major. Do\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 you think we can find it in an hour?"\par
\pard "Give me a hand up," Hendricks said.\fs24\par
\pard\li195\fs18 Tasso put her pistol away and helped him to his feet.\par
\pard\li5\sl10\slmult0 "This is going to be difficult."\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Yes it is." Hendricks set his lips tightly. "I don't think\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 we're going to go very far."\par
\pard\li200\sl15\slmult0 They began to walk. The early sun cast a little warmth\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 down on them. The land was flat and barren, stretching out\par
\pard\li5\sl60\slmult0 grey and lifeless as far as they could see. A few birds\par
\pard sailed silently, far above them, circling slowly.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 "See anything?" Hendricks said. "Any claws?"\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 "No. Not yet."\par
\pard\li205\sl20\slmult0 They passed through some ruins, upright concrete and\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 bricks. A cement foundation. Rats scuttled away. Tasso\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 jumped back warily.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "This used to be a town," Hendricks said. "A village. Pro-\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 vincial village. This was all grape country, once. Where we\par
\pard\li5\sl60\slmult0 are now."\par
\pard\li215 They came on to a ruined street, weeds and cracks criss-\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 crossing it. Over to the right a stone chimney stuck up.\par
\pard\li220\sl20\slmult0 "Be careful," he warned her.\par
A pit yawned, an open basement. Ragged ends of pipes\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 jutted up, twisted and bent. They passed part of a house, a\par
\pard\li10\sl20\slmult0 bathtub turned on its side. A broken chair. A few spoons\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 and bits of china dishes. In the centre of the street the\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 ground had sunk away. The depression was filled with\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 weeds and debris and bones.\par
\pard\li230\sl30\slmult0 "Over here," Hendricks murmured.\par
\pard\li230\sl25\slmult0 "This way?"\par
\pard\li235\sl30\slmult0 "To the right."\par
\pard\li225\sl25\slmult0 They passed the remains of a heavy duty tank; Hendricks'\par
\pard\li20\sl30\slmult0 belt counter clicked ominously. The tank had been radia-\par
\pard\li25\sl30\slmult0 tion blasted. A few feet from the tank a mummified\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 body lay sprawled out, mouth open. Beyond the road was\par
\pard\li40\sl70\slmult0 a flat field. Stones and weeds, and bits of broken glass.\par
\pard\li245 "There," Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li240\sl250\slmult0 A stone well jutted up, sagging and broken. A few boards\par
\pard\li35\sl25\slmult0 lay across it. Most of the well had sunk into rubble. Hen-\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 dricks walked unsteadily toward it, Tasso beside him.\par
\pard\li250\sl30\slmult0 "Are you certain about this?" Tasso said. "This doesn't\par
\pard\li40\sl25\slmult0 look like anything."\par
\pard\li260\sl45\slmult0 "I'm sure." Hendricks sat down at the edge of the well,\par
\pard\li55\sl25\slmult0 his teeth locked. His breath came quickly. He wiped per-\par
\pard spiration from his face. "This was arranged so the senior\fs24\par
\pard\li5\fs18 command officer could get away. If anythiag happened.\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 If the bunker fell."\par
\pard\li200\sl10\slmult0 "That was you?"\par
\pard\li195\sl10\slmult0 "Yes."\par
\pard\li205\sl20\slmult0 "Where is the ship? Is it here?"\par
"We're standing on it." Hendricks ran his hands over the\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 surface of the well stones. "The eye-lock responds to me, not\par
\pard\li5\sl30\slmult0 to anybody else. It's my ship. Or it was supposed to be."\par
\pard\li205 There was a sharp click. Presently they heard a low\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 grating sound from below them.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 "Step back," Hendricks said. He and Tasso moved away\par
\pard\sl20\slmult0 from the well.\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 A section of the ground slid back. A metal frame pushed\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 slowly up through the ash, shoving bricks and weeds out of\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 the way. The action ceased, as the ship nosed into view.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 "There it is," Hendricks said.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 The ship was small. It rested quietly, suspended in its mesh\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 frame, like a blunt needle. A rain of ash sifted down into the\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 dark cavity from which the ship had been raised. Hendricks\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 made his way over to it. He mounted the mesh and unscrewed\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 the hatch, pulling it back. Inside the ship the control banks\par
\pard\li30\sl25\slmult0 and the pressure seat were visible.\par
\pard\li225\sl10\slmult0 Tasso came and stood beside him, gazing into the ship.\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 "I'm not accustomed to rocket piloting," she said, after a\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 while.\par
\pard\li220\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks glanced at her. "I'll do the piloting."\par
\pard\li230\sl20\slmult0 "Will you? There's only one seat, Major. I can see it's\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 built to carry only a single person."\par
\pard\li205\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks' breathing changed. He studied the interior of\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 the ship intently. Tasso was right. There was only one seat.\par
The ship was built to carry only one person. "I see," he\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 said slowly. "And the one person is you."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 She nodded.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 "Of course."\par
\pard\li220\sl15\slmult0 "Why?"\par
\pard\li245\sl20\slmult0\i "You\i0 can't go. You might not live through the trip. You're\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 injured. You probably wouldn't get there."\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "An interesting point. But you see, I know where the\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 Moon Base is. And you don't. You might fly around for\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 months and not find it. It's well hidden. Without knowing\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 what to look for"\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 "I'll have to take my chances. Maybe I won't find it.\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 Not by myself. But I think you'll give me all the informa-\par
\pard tion I need. Your life depends on it."\fs24\par
\pard\li195\fs18 "How?"\par
\pard\li215\sl25\slmult0 "If I find the Moon Base in time, perhaps I can get them\par
\pard\sl35\slmult0 to send a ship back to pick you up. \i If\i0 I find the Base in\par
\pard time. If not, then you haven't a chance. I imagine there are\par
\pard\sl15\slmult0 supplies on the ship. They will last me long enough"\par
\pard\li205\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks moved quickly. But his injured arm betrayed\par
\pard\li10\sl30\slmult0 him. Tasso ducked, sliding lithely aside. Her hand came\par
\pard\li10\sl60\slmult0 up, lightning fast. Hendricks saw the gun butt coming. He\par
\pard\li15 tried to ward off the blow, but she was too fast. The metal\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 butt struck against the side of his head, just above his ear.\par
\pard\li20\sl10\slmult0 Numbing pain rushed through him. Pain and rolling clouds\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 of blackness. He sank down, sliding to the ground.\par
\pard\li235\sl220\slmult0 Dimly, he was aware that Tasso was standing over him,\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 kicking him with her toe.\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 "Major! Wake up."\par
\pard\li250\sl30\slmult0 He opened his eyes, groaning.\par
\pard\li255\sl10\slmult0 "Listen to me." She bent down, the gun pointed to his\par
\pard\li50\sl25\slmult0 face. "I have to hurry. There isn't much time left. The\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 ship is ready, but you must tell me the information I\par
\pard\li50\sl15\slmult0 need before I leave."\par
\pard\li275\sl10\slmult0 Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it.\par
\pard\li265\sl25\slmult0 "Hurry up! Where is the Moon Base? How do I find it?\par
\pard\li65\sl20\slmult0 What do I look for?"\par
\pard\li270\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks said nothing.\par
\pard\li290\sl35\slmult0 "Answer me!"\par
\pard\li290\sl25\slmult0 "Sorry."\par
\pard\li300\sl30\slmult0 "Major, the ship is loaded with provisions. I can coast for\par
\pard\li85\sl30\slmult0 weeks. I'll find the Base eventually. And in a half hour\par
\pard\li90\sl25\slmult0 you'll be dead. Your only chance of survival" She\par
\pard\li100\sl30\slmult0 broke off.\par
\pard\li310\sl25\slmult0 Along the slope, by some crumbling 'ruins, something\par
\pard\li105\sl25\slmult0 moved. Something in the ash. Tasso turned quickly, aiming.\par
\pard\li115\sl35\slmult0 She fired. A puff of flame leaped. Something scuttled away,\par
\pard\li120\sl20\slmult0 rolling across the ash. She fired again. The claw burst apart,\par
\pard\li125\sl30\slmult0 wheels flying.\par
\pard\li335\sl30\slmult0 "See?" Tasso said. "A scout. It won't be long."\par
\pard\li335\sl25\slmult0 "You'll bring them back here to get me?"\par
\pard\li350\sl35\slmult0 "Yes. As soon as possible."\par
\pard\li355\sl25\slmult0 Hendricks looked up at her. He studied her intently.\par
\pard\li155\sl35\slmult0 "You're telling the truth?" A strange expression had come\par
\pard\li160\sl70\slmult0 over his face, an avid hunger. "You will come back for me?\par
\pard You'll get me to the Moon Base?"\fs24\par
\pard\li215\fs18 "I'll get you to the Moon Base. But tell me where it is!\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 There's only a little time left."\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 "All right." Hendricks picked up a piece of rock, pulling\par
\pard\sl10\slmult0 himself to a sitting position. "Watch."\par
\pard\li210\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks began to scratch in the ash. Tasso stood by\par
\pard\li15\sl30\slmult0 him, watching the motion of the rock. Hendricks was sketch-\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 ing a crude lunar map.\par
\pard\li220\sl210\slmult0 "This is the Appenine Range. Here is the Crater of Archi-\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 medes. The Moon Base is beyond the end of the Appenine,\par
\pard\li20\sl25\slmult0 about two hundred miles. I don't know exactly where. No\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 one on Terra knows. But when you're over the Appenine,\par
\pard\li25 signal with one red flare and a green flare, followed by two\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 red flares in quick succession. The Base monitor will record\par
\pard\li35\sl50\slmult0 your signal. The Base is under the surface, of course. They'll\par
\pard\li30 guide you down with magnetic grapples."\par
\pard\li240\sl10\slmult0 "And the controls? Can I operate them?"\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 "The controls are virtually automatic. All you have to do\par
\pard\li45\sl10\slmult0 is give the right signal at the right time."\par
\pard\li245\sl25\slmult0 "I will."\par
\pard\li245\sl10\slmult0 "The seat absorbs most of the take-off shock. Air and tem-\par
\pard\li40\sl35\slmult0 perature are automatically controlled. The ship will leave\par
\pard\li45\sl5\slmult0 Terra and pass out into free space. It'll line itself up with\par
\pard\li40\sl15\slmult0 the moon, falling into an orbit around it, about a hundred\par
\pard\li45\sl10\slmult0 miles above the surface. The orbit will carry you over the\par
\pard\li45\sl25\slmult0 Base. When you're in the region of the Appenine, release\par
\pard\li50\sl20\slmult0 the signal rockets."\par
\pard\li255\sl10\slmult0 Tasso slid into the ship and lowered herself into the pres-\par
\pard\li55\sl55\slmult0 sure seat. The arm locks folded automatically around her.\par
\pard\li45 She fingered the controls. "Too bad you're not going, Ma-\par
\pard\li45\sl15\slmult0 jor. All this put here for you, and you can't make the trip."\par
\pard\li250\sl15\slmult0 "Leave me the pistol."\par
\pard\li250\sl10\slmult0 Tasso pulled the pistol from her belt. She held it in her\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 hand, weighing it thoughtfully. "Don't go too far from this\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 location. It'll be hard to find you, as it is."\par
\pard\li270\sl15\slmult0 "No. I'll stay here by the well."\par
\pard\li255\sl20\slmult0 Tasso gripped the take-off switch, running her fingers over\par
\pard\li55\sl15\slmult0 the smooth metal. "A beautiful ship, Major. Well built. I\par
\pard\li60\sl15\slmult0 admire your workmanship. You people have always done\par
good work. You build fine things. Your work, your crea-\par
\pard\li55\sl25\slmult0 tions, are your greatest achievement."\par
\pard\li265\sl5\slmult0 "Give me the pistol," Hendricks said impatiently, holding\par
\pard\li65\sl40\slmult0 out his hand. He struggled to his feet.\par
\pard "Good-bye, Major." Tasso tossed the pistol past Hendricks.\fs24\par
\fs18 The pistol clattered and rolled away. Hendricks hurried\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 after it. He bent down, snatching it up.\par
\pard\li210\sl10\slmult0 The hatch of the ship clanged shut. The bolts fell into\par
\pard\li5\sl15\slmult0 place. Hendricks made his way back. The inner door was\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 being sealed. He raised the pistol unsteadily.\par
\pard\li230\sl215\slmult0 There was a shattering roar. The ship burst up from its\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 metal cage, fusing the mesh behind it. Hendricks cringed,\par
\pard\li30\sl15\slmult0 pulling back. The ship shot up into the rolling clouds of ash,\par
\pard\li25\sl5\slmult0 disappearing into the sky.\par
\pard\li245\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks stood watching a long time, until even the\par
\pard\li45\sl50\slmult0 streamer had dissipated. Nothing stirred. The morning air was\par
\pard\li50 chill and silent. He began to walk aimlessly back the way'\par
\pard\li50\sl20\slmult0 they had come. Better to keep moving around. It would be a\par
\pard\li55\sl20\slmult0 long time before help cameif it came at all.\par
\pard\li265\sl10\slmult0 He searched his pockets until he found a package of ciga-\par
\pard\li65\sl35\slmult0 rettes. He lit one grimly. They had all wanted cigarettes from\par
\pard\li70 him. But cigarettes were scarce.\par
\pard\li285\sl20\slmult0 A lizard slithered by him, through the ash. He halted,\par
\pard\li80\sl10\slmult0 rigid. The lizard disappeared. Above, the sun rose higher in\par
\pard\li85\sl15\slmult0 the sky. Some flies landed on a flat rock to one side of him.\par
\pard\li90\sl5\slmult0 Hendricks kicked at them with his foot.\par
\pard\li305\sl30\slmult0 It was getting hot. Sweat trickled down his face, into his\par
\pard\li100\sl15\slmult0 collar. His mouth was dry.\par
\pard\li310\sl5\slmult0 Presently he stopped walking and sat down on some de-\par
\pard\li105\sl25\slmult0 bris. He unfastened his medicine kit and swallowed a few\par
\pard\li115\sl15\slmult0 narcotic capsules. He looked around him. Where was he?\par
\pard\li320\sl10\slmult0 Something lay ahead. Stretched out on the ground. Silent\par
\pard\li125\sl30\slmult0 and unmoving.\par
\pard\li330 Hendricks drew his gun quickly. It looked like a man.\par
\pard\li125\sl30\slmult0 Then he remembered. It was the remain of Klaus. The Sec-\par
\pard\li135\sl20\slmult0 ond Variety. Where Tasso had blasted him. He could see\par
\pard\li130\sl15\slmult0 wheels and relays and metal parts, strewn around on the ash.\par
\pard\li140\sl5\slmult0 Glittering and sparkling in the sunlight.\par
\pard\li345\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks got to his feet and walked over. He nudged\par
\pard\li150\sl25\slmult0 the inert form with his foot, turning it over a little. He could\par
\pard\li150\sl60\slmult0 see the metal hull, the aluminium ribs and struts. More wiring\par
\pard\li155 fell out. Like viscera. Heaps of wiring, switches and relays.\par
\pard\li155\sl15\slmult0 Endless motors and rods.\par
\pard\li360\sl15\slmult0 He bent down. The brain cage had been smashed by the\par
\pard\li165\sl20\slmult0 fall. The artificial brain was visible. He gazed at it. A maze\par
\pard\li165\sl15\slmult0 of circuits. Miniature tubes. Wires as fine as hair. He\par
\pard\li170\sl10\slmult0 touched the brain cage. It swung aside. The type plate was\par
\pard visible. Hendricks studied the plate.\fs24\par
\pard\li240\fs18 And blanched.\par
\pard\li240\sl20\slmult0 IVV.\par
\pard\li240\sl15\slmult0 For a long time he stared at the plate. Fourth Variety. Not\par
\pard\li30\sl10\slmult0 the Second. They had been wrong. There were more types. Not\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 just three. Many more, perhaps. At least four. And Klaus\par
\pard\li30\sl25\slmult0 wasn't the Second Variety.\par
\pard\li230\sl5\slmult0 Suddenly he tensed. Something was coming, walking\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 through the ash beyond the hill. What was it? He strained\par
\pard\li35\sl35\slmult0 to see. Figures. Figures coming slowly along, making their\par
\pard\li30\sl40\slmult0 way through the ash.\par
\pard\li240 Coming towards him.\par
\pard\li225\sl15\slmult0 Hendricks crouched quickly, raising his gun. Sweat dripped\par
\pard\sl25\slmult0 "down into his eyes. He fought down rising panic, as the fig-\par
\pard\li25\sl55\slmult0 ures neared.\par
\pard\li235 The first was a David. The David saw him and increased\par
\pard\li35\sl15\slmult0 its pace. The others hurried behind it. A second David. A\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 third. Three Davids, all alike, coming toward him silently,\par
\pard\li25\sl10\slmult0 without expression, their thin legs rising and falling. Clutch-\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 ing their teddy bears.\par
\pard\li235\sl20\slmult0 He aimed and fired. The first two Davids dissolved into\par
\pard\li35\sl10\slmult0 particles. The third came on. And the figure behind it.\par
\pard\li35\sl20\slmult0 Climbing silently towards him across the grey ash. A Wound-\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 ed Soldier, towering over the David. And"\par
\pard\li230\sl10\slmult0 And behind the Wounded Soldier came two Tassos, walk-\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 ing side by side. Heavy belt, Russian army pants, shirt, long\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 hair. The familiar figure, as he had seen her only a little\par
\pard\li30\sl20\slmult0 while before. Sitting in the pressure seat of the ship. Two\par
\pard\li25\sl20\slmult0 slim, silent figures, both identical.\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 They were very near. The David bent down suddenly,\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 dropping its teddy bear. The bear raced across the ground.\par
Automatically, Hendricks' fingers tightened around the trig-\par
\pard\li15\sl60\slmult0 ger. The bear was gone, dissolved into mist. The two Tasso\par
\pard\li15 Types moved on, expressionless, walking side by side, through\par
\pard\li15\sl10\slmult0 the grey ash.\par
\pard\li215\sl20\slmult0 When they were almost to him, Hendricks raised the pis-\par
\pard\li25\sl15\slmult0 tol waist high and fired.\par
\pard\li225\sl20\slmult0 The two Tassos dissolved. But already a new group was\par
\pard\li15\sl15\slmult0 starting up the rise, five or six Tassos, all identical, a line of\par
\pard\li15\sl20\slmult0 them coming rapidly towards him.\par
\pard\li210\sl15\slmult0 And he had given her the ship and the signal code. Be-\par
\pard\li15\sl55\slmult0 cause of him she was on her way to the moon, to the Moon\par
\pard\li15 Base. He had made it possible.\par
\pard\li210\sl20\slmult0 He had been right about the bomb, after all. It had been\par
\pard designed with knowledge of the other types, the David Type\fs24\par
\pard\li10\fs18 and the Wounded Soldier Type. And the Klaus Type. Not\par
\pard\sl5\slmult0 designed by human beings. It had been designed by one of\par
\pard\li5\sl30\slmult0 the underground factories, apart from all human contact.\par
\pard\li200\sl5\slmult0 The line of Tassos came up to him. Hendricks braced him-\par
\pard\li10\sl15\slmult0 self, watching them calmly. The familiar face, the belt, the\par
\pard\li5\sl20\slmult0 heavy shirt, the bomb carefully in place.\par
\pard\li205\sl10\slmult0 The bomb\par
\pard\li215\sl15\slmult0 As the Tassos reached for him, a last ironic thought drifted\par
\pard\li10\sl10\slmult0 through Hendricks' mind. He felt a little better, thinking\par
\pard\li25\sl25\slmult0 about it. The bomb. Made by the Second Variety to destroy\par
\pard\li20\sl15\slmult0 the other varieties. Made for that end alone.\par
\pard\li230\sl10\slmult0 They were already beginning to design weapons to use\par
\pard against each other.\par
}
Mini Shell