Current File : //data/sci-fi/Dick Philip K/Second Variety.rtf
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\pard\keepn\s1\sb240\sa60\qc\kerning32\b\f1\fs32 SECOND VARIETY\par
\pard\kerning0\b0\f0\fs24\par
\pard\qc\f2 by Philip K. Dick\par
eVersion 1.0\page\pard\par
THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER made his way nervously up the ragged side of the bill, holding his gun ready. He glanced around him, licking his dry lips, his face set. From time to time he reached up a gloved band and wiped perspiration from his neck, pushing down his coat collar.\par
Eric turned to Corporal Leone. \ldblquote Want him? Or can I have him?\rdblquote He adjusted the view sight so the Russian\rquote s features squarely filled the glass, the lines cutting across his hard, somber features.\par
Leone considered. The Russian was close, moving rapidly, almost running. \ldblquote Don\rquote t fire. Wait,\rdblquote Leone tensed. \ldblquote I don\rquote t think we\rquote re needed.\rdblquote\par
The Russian increased his pace, kicking ash and piles of debris out of his way. He reached the top of the hill and stopped, panting, staring around him. The sky was overcast, drifting clouds of gray particles. Bare trunks of trees jutted up occasionally; the ground was level and bare, rubble-strewn, with the ruins of buildings standing out here and there like yellowing skulls.\par
The Russian was uneasy. He knew something was wrong. He started down the hill. Now he was only a few paces from the bunker. Eric was getting fidgety. He played with his pistol, glancing at Leone.\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t worry,\rdblquote Leone said. \ldblquote He won\rquote t get here. They\rquote ll take care of him.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Are you sure? He\rquote s got damn far.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They hang around close to the bunker. He\rquote s getting into the bad part. Get set!\rdblquote\par
The Russian began to hurry, sliding down the hill, his boots sinking into the heaps of gray ash, trying to keep his gun up. He stopped for a moment, lifting his field-glasses to his face.\par
\ldblquote He\rquote s looking right at us,\rdblquote Eric said.\par
The Russian came on. They could see his eyes, like two blue stones. His mouth was open a little. He needed a shave, his chin was stubbled. On one bony cheek was a square of tape, showing blue at the edge. \i A fungoid spot\i0 . His coat was muddy and torn. One glove was missing.\par
As he ran his belt counter bounced up and down against him. Leone touched Eric\rquote s arm. \ldblquote Here one comes.\rdblquote Across the ground something small and metallic came, flashing in the dull sunlight of mid-day. A metal sphere. It raced up the hill after the Russian, its treads flying. It was small, one of the baby ones. Its claws were out, two razor projections spinning in a blur of white steel. The Russian heard it. He turned instantly, firing. The sphere dissolved into particles. But already a second had emerged and was following the first. The Russian fired again.\par
A third sphere leaped up the Russian\rquote s leg, clicking and whirring. It jumped to the shoulder. The spinning blades disappeared into the Russian\rquote s throat.\par
Eric relaxed. \ldblquote Well, that\rquote s that. God, those damn things give me the creeps. Sometimes I think we were better off before.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If we hadn\rquote t invented them, they would have.\rdblquote Leone lit a cigarette shakily. \ldblquote I wonder why a Russian would come all this way alone. I didn\rquote t see anyone covering him.\rdblquote Lieutenant Scott came slipping up the tunnel, into the bunker. \ldblquote What happened? Something entered the screen.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote An Ivan.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Just one?\rdblquote\par
Eric brought the screen view around. Scott peered into it. Now there were numerous metal spheres crawling over the prostrate body, dull metal globes clicking and whirring, sawing up the Russian into small parts to be carried away. \ldblquote What a lot of claws,\rdblquote Scott murmured.\par
\ldblquote They come like flies. Not much game for them any more.\rdblquote Scott pushed the sight away, disgusted. \ldblquote Like flies. I wonder why he was out there. They know we have claws all around.\rdblquote A larger robot had joined the smaller spheres. It was directing operations, a long blunt tube with projecting eyepieces. There was not much left of the soldier. What remained was being brought down the hillside by the host of claws. \ldblquote Sir,\rdblquote Leone said. \ldblquote If it\rquote s all right, I\rquote d like to go out there and take a look at him.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe he came with something.\rdblquote\par
Scott considered. He shrugged. \ldblquote All right. But be careful.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I have my tab.\rdblquote Leone patted the metal band at his wrist. \ldblquote I\rquote ll be out of bounds.\rdblquote\par
\par
He picked up his rifle and stepped carefully up to the mouth of the bunker, making his way between blocks of concrete and steel prongs, twisted and bent. The air was cold at the top. He crossed over the ground towards the remains of the soldier, striding across the soft ash. A wind blew around him, swirling gray particles up in his face. He squinted and pushed on.\par
The claws retreated as he came close, some of them stiffening into immobility. He touched his tab. The Ivan would have given something for that! Short hard radiation emitted from the tab neutralized the claws, put them out of commission. Even the big robot with its two waving eyestalks retreated respectfully as he approached. He bent down over the remains of the soldier. The gloved hand was closed tightly. There was something in it. Leone pried the fingers apart. A sealed container, aluminum. Still shiny.\par
He put it in his pocket and made his way back to the bunker. Behind him the claws came back to life, moving into operation again. The procession resumed, metal spheres moving through the gray ash with their loads. He could hear their treads scrabbling against the ground. He shuddered.\par
\par
Scott watched intently as he brought the shiny tube out of his pocket. \ldblquote He had that?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote In his hand.\rdblquote Leone unscrewed the top. \ldblquote Maybe you should look at it, sir.\rdblquote\par
Scott took it. He emptied the contents out in the palm of his hand. A small piece of silk paper, carefully folded. He sat down by the light and unfolded it.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s it say, sir?\rdblquote Eric said. Several officers came up the tunnel. Major Hendricks appeared. \ldblquote Major,\rdblquote Scott said. \ldblquote Look at this.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks read the slip. \ldblquote This just come?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote A single runner. Just now.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Where is he?\rdblquote Hendricks asked sharply.\par
\ldblquote The claws got him.\rdblquote\par
Major Hendricks grunted. \ldblquote Here.\rdblquote He passed it to his companions. \ldblquote I think this is what we\rquote ve been waiting for. They certainly took their time about it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So they want to talk terms,\rdblquote Scott said. \ldblquote Are we going along with them?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s not for us to decide.\rdblquote Hendricks sat down. \ldblquote Where\rquote s the communications officer? I want the Moon base.\rdblquote Leone pondered as the communications officer raised the outside antenna cautiously, scanning the sky above the bunker for any sign of a watching Russian ship.\par
\ldblquote Sir,\rdblquote Scott said to Hendricks. \ldblquote It\rquote s sure strange they suddenly came around. We\rquote ve been using the claws for almost a year. Now all of a sudden they start to fold.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe claws have been getting down in their bunkers.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote One of the big ones, the kind with stalks, got into an Ivan bunker last week,\rdblquote Eric said. \ldblquote It got a whole platoon of them before they got their lid shut.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How do you know?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote A buddy told me. The thing came back with\'85 with remains.\rdblquote\par
\par
\ldblquote Moon base, sir,\rdblquote the communications officer said. On the screen the face of the lunar monitor appeared. His crisp uniform contrasted to the uniforms in the bunker. And he was clean-shaven. \ldblquote Moon base.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote This is forward command L-Whistle. On Terra. Let me have General Thompson.\rdblquote\par
The monitor faded. Presently General Thompson\rquote s heavy features came into focus. \ldblquote What is it, Major?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Our claws got a single Russian runner with a message. We don\rquote t know whether to act on it - there have been tricks like this in the past.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s the message?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The Russians want us to send a single officer on policy level over to their lines. For a conference. They don\rquote t state the nature of the conference. They say that matters of -\rdblquote He consulted the slip. \ldblquote Matters of grave urgency make it advisable that discussion be opened between a representative of the UN forces and themselves.\rdblquote\par
He held the message up to the screen for the general to scan. Thompson\rquote s eyes moved.\par
\ldblquote What should we do?\rdblquote Hendricks asked.\par
\ldblquote Send a man out.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You don\rquote t think it\rquote s a trap?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It might be. But the location they give for their forward command is correct. It\rquote s worth a try, at any rate.\rdblquote \ldblquote I\rquote ll send an officer out. And report the results to you as soon as he returns.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote All right. Major.\rdblquote Thompson broke the connection. The screen died. Up above, the antenna came slowly down. Hendricks rolled up the paper, deep in, thought.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll go,\rdblquote Leone said.\par
\ldblquote They want somebody at policy level.\rdblquote Hendricks rubbed his jaw. \ldblquote Policy level. I haven\rquote t been outside in months. Maybe I could use a little air.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t you think it\rquote s risky?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks lifted the view sight and gazed into it. The remains of the Russian were gone. Only a single claw was in sight. It was folding itself back, disappearing into the ash, like a crab. Like some hideous metal crab\'85\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s the only thing that bothers me.\rdblquote Hendricks rubbed his wrist. \ldblquote I know I\rquote m safe as long as I have this on me. But there\rquote s something about them. I hate the damn things. I wish we\rquote d never invented them. There\rquote s something wrong with them. Relentless little -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If we hadn\rquote t invented them, the Ivans would have.\rdblquote Hendricks pushed the sight back. \ldblquote Anyhow, it seems to be winning the war. I guess that\rquote s good.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Sounds like you\rquote re getting the same jitters as the Ivans.\rdblquote Hendricks examined his wrist watch. \ldblquote I guess I had better get started, if I want to be there before dark.\rdblquote He took a deep breath and then stepped out on to the gray, rubbed ground. After a minute he lit a cigarette and stood gazing around him. The landscape was dead. Nothing stirred. He could see for miles, endless ash and slag, ruins of buildings. A few trees without leaves or branches, only the trunks. Above him the eternal rolling clouds of gray, drifting between Terra and the sun.\par
Major Hendricks went on. Off to the right something scuttled, something round and metallic. A claw, going lickety-split after something. Probably after a small animal, a rat. They got rats, too. As a sort of sideline. He came to the top of the little hill and lifted his field-glasses. The Russian lines were a few miles ahead of him. They had a forward command post there. The runner had come from it.\par
A squat robot with undulating arms passed by him, its arms weaving inquiringly. The robot went on its way, disappearing under some debris. Hendricks watched it go. He had never seen that type before. There were getting to be more and more types he had never seen, new varieties and sizes coming up from the underground factories. Hendricks put out his cigarette and hurried on.\par
\par
It was interesting, the use of artificial forms in warfare. How had they got started? \i Necessity\i0 . The Soviet Union had gained great initial success, usual with the side that got the war going. Most of North America had been blasted off the map. Retaliation was quick in coming, of course. The sky was full of circling disc-bombers long before the war began, they had been up there for years. The discs began sailing down all over Russia within hours after Washington got it. But that hadn\rquote t helped Washington.\par
The American bloc governments moved to the Moon base the first year. There was not much else to do. Europe was gone; a slag heap with dark weeds growing from the ashes and bones. Most of North America was useless; nothing could be planted, no one could live. A few million people kept going up in Canada and down in South America.\par
But during the second year Soviet parachutists began to drop, a few at first, then more and more. They wore the first really effective anti-radiation equipment; what was left of American production moved to the moon along with the governments. All but the troops. The remaining troops stayed behind as best they could, a few thousand here, a platoon there. No one knew exactly where they were; they stayed where they could, moving around at night, hiding in ruins, in sewers, cellars, with the rats and snakes.\par
It looked as if the Soviet Union had the war almost won. Except for a handful of projectiles fired off from the moon daily, there was almost no weapon in use against them. They came and went as they pleased. The war, for all practical purposes, was over. Nothing effective opposed them.\par
And then the first claws appeared. And overnight the complexion of the war changed.\par
\par
The claws were awkward, at first. Slow. The Ivans knocked them off almost as fast as they crawled out of their under-ground tunnels. But then they got better, faster, and more cunning. Factories, all on Terra, turned them out. Factories a long way underground, behind the Soviet lines, factories that had once made atomic projectiles, now almost forgotten.\par
The claws got faster, and they got bigger. New types appeared, some with feelers, some that flew. There were a few jumping kinds. The best technicians on the moon were working on designs, making them more and more intricate, more flexible. They became uncanny; the Ivans were having a lot of trouble with them. Some of the little claws were learning to hide themselves, burrowing down into the ash, lying in wait.\par
And then they started getting into the Russian bunkers, slipping down when the lids were raised for air and a look around. One claw inside a bunker, a churning sphere of blades and metal, that was enough. And when one got in others followed. With a weapon like that the war couldn\rquote t go on much longer.\par
\par
Maybe it was already over.\par
Maybe he was going to hear the news. Maybe the Politburo had decided to throw in the sponge. Too bad it had taken so long. Six years. A long time for war like that, the way they had waged it. The automatic retaliation discs, spinning down all over Russia, hundreds of thousands of them. Bacteria crystals. The Soviet guided missiles, whistling through the air. The chain bombs.\par
And now this, the robots, the claws. The claws weren\rquote t like other weapons. They were alive, from any practical standpoint, whether the Governments wanted to admit it or not. They were not machines. They were living things, spinning, creeping, shaking themselves up suddenly from the gray ash and darting towards a man, climbing up him, rushing for his throat. And that was what they had been designed to do. Their job.\par
They did their job well. Especially lately, with the new designs coming up. Now they repaired themselves. They were on their own. Radiation tabs protected the UN troops, but if a man lost his tab he was fair game for the claws, no matter what his uniform. Down below the surface automatic machinery stamped them out. Human beings stayed a long way off. It was too risky; nobody wanted to be around them. They were left to themselves. And they seemed to be doing all right. The new designs were faster, more complex. More efficient.\par
Apparently they had won the war.\par
\par
Major Hendricks lit a second cigarette. The landscape depressed him. Nothing but ash and ruins. He seemed to be alone, the only living thing in the whole world. To the right the ruins of a town rose up, a few walls and heaps of debris. He tossed the dead match away, increasing his pace.\par
Suddenly he stopped, jerking up his gun, his body tense. \i For a minute it looked like\i0\'85 From behind the shell of a ruined building a figure came, walking slowly towards him, walking hesitantly. Hendricks blinked. \ldblquote Stop!\rdblquote\par
The boy stopped. Hendricks lowered his gun. The boy stood silently, looking at him. He was small, not very old. Perhaps eight. But it was hard to tell. Most of the kids who remained were stunted. He wore a faded blue sweater, ragged with dirt, and short pants. His hair was long and matted. Brown hair. It hung over his face and around his ears. He held something in his arms.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s that you have?\rdblquote Hendricks said sharply.\par
The boy held it out. It was a toy, a bear. A teddy bear.\par
The boy\rquote s eyes were large, but without expression.\par
Hendricks relaxed. \ldblquote I don\rquote t want it. Keep it.\rdblquote\par
The boy hugged the bear again.\par
\ldblquote Where do you live?\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\ldblquote In there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The ruins?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Underground?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How many are there?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How\'85 how many?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How many of you. How big\rquote s your settlement?\rdblquote\par
The boy did not answer.\par
Hendricks frowned. \ldblquote You\rquote re not all by yourself, are you?\rdblquote\par
The boy nodded.\par
\ldblquote How do you stay alive?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote There\rquote s food.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What kind of food?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Different.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks studied him. \ldblquote How old are you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Thirteen.\rdblquote\par
It wasn\rquote t possible. Or was it? The boy was thin, stunted. And probably sterile. Radiation exposure, years straight. No wonder he was so small. His arms and legs were like pipe-cleaners, knobby and thin. Hendricks touched the boy\rquote s arm. His skin was dry and rough; radiation skin. He bent down, looking into the boy\rquote s face. There was no expression. Big eyes, big and dark.\par
\ldblquote Are you blind?\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\ldblquote No. I can see some.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How do you get away from the claws?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The claws?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The round things. That run and burrow.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t understand.\rdblquote\par
Maybe there weren\rquote t any claws around. A lot of areas were free. They collected mostly around bunkers, where there were people. The claws had been designed to sense warmth, warmth of living things.\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re lucky.\rdblquote Hendricks straightened up. \ldblquote Well? Which way are you going?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Back\'85 back there\'85 Can I come with you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote With me?\rdblquote Hendricks folded his arms. \ldblquote I\rquote m going a long way. Miles. I have to hurry.\rdblquote He looked at his watch. \ldblquote I have to get there by nightfall.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I want to come.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks fumbled in his pack. \ldblquote It isn\rquote t worth it. Here.\rdblquote He tossed down the food cans he had with him. \ldblquote You take these and go back. Okay?\rdblquote\par
The boy said nothing.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll be coming back this way. In a day or so. If you\rquote re around here when I come back you can come along with me. All right?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I want to come along with you now.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s a long walk.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I can walk.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks shifted uneasily. It made too good a target, two people walking along. And the boy would slow him down. But he might not come back this way. \i And if the boy were really all alone\i0\'85 \ldblquote Okay. Come along.\rdblquote\par
The boy fell in beside him. Hendricks strode along. The boy walked silently, clutching his teddy bear. \ldblquote What\rquote s your name?\rdblquote Hendricks said, after a time.\par
\ldblquote David Edward Derring.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote David? What\'85 what happened to your mother and father?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They died.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote In the blast.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How long ago?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Six years.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks slowed down. \ldblquote You\rquote ve been alone six years?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No. There were other people for a while. They went away.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And you\rquote ve been alone since?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks glanced down. The boy was strange, saying very little. Withdrawn. But that was the way they were, the children who had survived. Quiet. Stoic. A strange kind of fatalism gripped them. Nothing came as a surprise. They accepted anything that came along. There was no longer any normal, any natural course of things, moral or physical, for them to expect. Custom, habit, all the determining forces of learning were gone; only brute experience remained. \ldblquote Am I walking too fast?\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How did you happen to see me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I was waiting.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Waiting?\rdblquote Hendricks was puzzled. \ldblquote What were you waiting for?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote To catch things.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What kind of things?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Things to eat.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Oh.\rdblquote Hendricks set his lips grimly. A thirteen-year-old boy, living on rats and gophers and half-rotten canned food. Down in a hole under the ruins of a town. With radiation pools and claws, and Russian dive-mines up above, coasting around in the sky.\par
\ldblquote Where are we going?\rdblquote David asked.\par
\ldblquote To the Russian lines.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Russian?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The enemy. The people who started the war. They dropped the first radiation bombs. They began all this.\rdblquote The boy nodded. His face showed no expression.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m an American,\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
There was no comment. On they went, the two of them, Hendricks walking a little ahead, David trailing behind him, hugging his dirty teddy bear against his chest.\par
About four in the afternoon they stopped to eat. Hendricks built a fire in a hollow between some slabs of concrete. He cleared the weeds away and heaped up bits of wood. The Russians\rquote lines were not very far ahead.\par
Around him was what had once been a long valley, acres of fruit trees and grapes. Nothing remained now but a few bleak stumps and the mountains that stretched across the horizon at the far end. And the clouds of rolling ash that blew and drifted with the wind, settling over the weeds and remains of buildings, walls, here and there once in a while what had been a road.\par
Hendricks made coffee and heated up some boiled mutton and bread. \ldblquote Here.\rdblquote He handed bread and mutton to David. David squatted by the edge of the fire, his knees knobby and white. He examined the food and then passed it back shaking his head.\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No? Don\rquote t you want any?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks shrugged. Maybe the boy was a mutant, used to special food. It didn\rquote t matter. When he was hungry he would find something to eat. The boy was strange. But there were many strange changes coming over the world. Life was not the same any more. It would never be the same again. The human race was going to have to realize that. \ldblquote Suit yourself,\rdblquote Hendricks said. He ate the bread and mutton by himself, washing it down with coffee. He ate slowly, finding the food hard to digest. When he was done he got to his feet and stamped the fire out.\par
David rose slowly, watching him with his young-old eyes.\par
\ldblquote We\rquote re going,\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\ldblquote All right.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks walked along, his gun in his arms. They were close; he was tense, ready for anything. The Russians should be expecting a runner, an answer to their own runner, but they were tricky. There was always the possibility of a slip-up. He scanned the landscape around him. Nothing but slag and ash, a few hills, charred trees. Concrete walls. But somewhere ahead was the first bunker of the Russian lines, the forward command. Underground, buried deep, with only a periscope showing, a few gun muzzles. Maybe an antenna.\par
\ldblquote Will we be there soon?\rdblquote David asked.\par
\ldblquote Yes. Getting tired?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why, then?\rdblquote\par
David did not answer. He plodded carefully along behind, picking his way over the ash. His legs and shoes were gray with dust. His pinched face was streaked, lines of gray ash in rivulets down the pale white of his skin. There was no color to his face. Typical of the new children, growing up in cellars and sewers and underground shelters. Hendricks slowed down. He lifted his field-glasses and studied the ground ahead of him. Were they there, someplace, waiting for him? Watching him, the way his men had watched the Russian runner? A chill went up his back. Maybe they were getting their guns ready, preparing to fire, the way his men had prepared, made ready to kill. Hendricks stopped, wiping perspiration from his face.\par
\ldblquote Damn.\rdblquote It made him uneasy. But he should be expected.\par
The situation was different.\par
He strode over the ash, holding his gun tightly with both hands. Behind him came Davis. Hendricks peered around, tight-lipped. Any second it might happen. A burst of white light, a blast, carefully aimed from inside a deep concrete bunker.\par
He raised his arm and waved it around in a circle. Nothing moved. To the right a long ridge ran, topped with dead tree trunks. A few wild vines had grown up around the trees, remains of arbors. And the eternal dark weeds. Hendricks studied the ridge. \i Was anything up there?\i0 Perfect place for a lookout.\par
He approached the ridge warily, David coming silently behind. If it were his command he\rquote d have a sentry up there, watching for troops trying to infiltrate into the command area. Of course, if it were his command there would be claws around the area for full protection. He stopped, feet apart, hands on his hips.\par
\ldblquote Are we there?\rdblquote David said.\par
\ldblquote Almost.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why have we stopped?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t want to take any chances.\rdblquote Hendricks advanced slowly. Now the ridge lay directly beside him, along his right. Overlooking him. His uneasy feeling increased. If an Ivan were up there he wouldn\rquote t have a chance. He waved his arm again. They should be expecting someone in the UN uniform, in response to the note capsule. Unless the whole thing was a trap.\par
\ldblquote Keep up with me.\rdblquote He turned towards David. \ldblquote Don\rquote t drop behind.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote With you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Up beside me. We\rquote re close. We can\rquote t take any chances. Come on.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll be all right.\rdblquote David remained behind him, in the rear, a few paces away, still clutching his teddy bear.\par
\ldblquote Have it your way.\rdblquote Hendricks raised his glasses again, suddenly tense. \i For a moment had something moved?\i0 He scanned the ridge carefully. Everything was silent. Dead. No life up there, only tree trunks and ash. Maybe a few rats. The big black rats that had survived the claws. Mutants built their own shelters out of saliva and ash. Some kind of plaster. Adaptation.\par
He started forward again. A tall figure came out on the ridge above him, cloak flapping. Gray-green. A Russian. Behind him a second soldier appeared, Russian. Both lifted their guns, aiming. Hendricks froze. He opened his mouth. The soldiers were kneeling, sighting down the side of the slope. A third figure had joined them on the ridge top, a smaller figure in gray-green. A woman. She stood behind the other two.\par
Hendricks found his voice. \ldblquote Stop!\rdblquote He waved at them frantically. \ldblquote I\rquote m-\rdblquote\par
The two Russians fired. Behind Hendricks there was a faint pop. Waves of heat lapped against him, throwing him to the ground. Ash tore at his face, grinding into his eyes and nose. Choking, he pulled himself to his knees. It was all a trap. He was finished. He had come to be killed, like a steer.\par
The soldiers and the woman were coming down the side of the ridge towards him, sliding down through the soft ash. Hendricks was numb. His head throbbed. Awkwardly, he got his rifle up and took aim. It weighed a thousand tons; he could hardly hold it. His nose and cheeks stung. The air was full of the blast smell, a bitter acrid stench.\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t fire,\rdblquote the first Russian said, in heavily accented English.\par
The three of them came up to him, surrounding him. \ldblquote Put down your rifle, Yank,\rdblquote the other said. Hendricks was dazed. Everything had happened so fast. He had been caught. And they had blasted the boy. He turned his head. David was gone. What remained of him was strewn across the ground.\par
\par
The three Russians studied him curiously. Hendricks sat, wiping blood from his nose, picking out bits of ash. He shook his head, trying to clear it. \ldblquote Why did you do it?\rdblquote he murmured thickly.\par
\ldblquote The boy.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
One of the soldiers helped him roughly to his feet He turned Hendricks around. \ldblquote Look.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks closed his eyes.\par
\ldblquote Look.\rdblquote The two Russians pulled him forward. \ldblquote See. Hurry up. There isn\rquote t much time to spare, Yank!\rdblquote\par
Hendricks looked. And gasped.\par
\ldblquote See now? Now do you understand?\rdblquote\par
From the remains of David a metal wheel rolled. Relays, glinting metal. Parts, wiring. One of the Russians kicked at the heap of remains. Parts popped out, rolling away, wheels and springs and rods. A plastic section fell in, half charred. Hendricks bent shakily down. The front of the head had come off. He could make out the intricate brain, wires and relays, tiny tubes and switches, thousands of minute studs\'85\par
\ldblquote A robot,\rdblquote the soldier holding his arm said. \ldblquote We watched it tagging you.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Tagging me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s their way. They tag along with you. Into the bunker. That\rquote s how they get in.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks blinked, dazed. \ldblquote But\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Come on.\rdblquote They led him towards the ridge, sliding and slipping on the ash. The woman reached the top and stood waiting for them.\par
\ldblquote The forward command,\rdblquote Hendricks muttered. \ldblquote I came to negotiate with the Soviet-\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote There is no more forward command. They got in. We\rquote ll explain.\rdblquote They reached the top of the ridge. \ldblquote We\rquote re all that\rquote s left. The three of us. The rest were down in the bunker.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote This way. Down this way.\rdblquote The woman unscrewed a lid, a gray manhole cover set in the ground. \ldblquote Get in.\rdblquote Hendricks lowered himself. The two soldiers and the woman came behind him, following him down the ladder. The woman closed the lid after them, bolting it tightly into place.\par
\ldblquote Good thing we saw you,\rdblquote one of the two soldiers grunted.\par
\ldblquote It had tagged you about as far as it was going to.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Give me one of your cigarettes,\rdblquote the woman said. \ldblquote I haven\rquote t had an American cigarette for weeks.\rdblquote Hendricks pushed the pack to her. She took a cigarette and passed the pack to the two soldiers. In the corner of the small room the lamp gleamed fitfully. The room was low-ceilinged, cramped. The four of them sat around a small wood table. A few dirty dishes were stacked to one side. Behind a ragged curtain a second room was partly visible. Hendricks saw the corner of a cot, some blankets, clothes hung on a hook.\par
\ldblquote We were here,\rdblquote the soldier beside him said. He took off his helmet, pushing his blond hair back. \ldblquote I\rquote m Corporal Rudi Maxer. Polish. Impressed in the Soviet Army two years ago.\rdblquote He held out his hand.\par
Hendricks hesitated and then shook. \ldblquote Major Joseph Hendricks\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Klaus Epstein.\rdblquote The other soldier shook with him, a small dark man with thinning hair. Epstein plucked nervously at his ear. \ldblquote Austrian. Impressed God knows when. I don\rquote t remember. The three of us were here, Rudi and I, with Tasso.\rdblquote He indicated the woman. \ldblquote That\rquote s how we escaped. All the rest were down in the bunker.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And\'85 and they got in?\rdblquote\par
Epstein lit a cigarette. \ldblquote First just one of them. The kind that tagged you. Then it let others in.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks became alert. \ldblquote The kind? Are there more than one kind?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The little boy. David. David holding his teddy bear. That\rquote s \i Variety Three\i0 . The most effective.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What are the other types?\rdblquote\par
Epstein reached into his coat. \ldblquote Here.\rdblquote He tossed a packet of photographs on to the table, tied with a string. \ldblquote Look for yourself.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks untied the string.\par
\ldblquote You see,\rdblquote Rudi Maxer said, \ldblquote that was why we wanted to talk terms. The Russians I mean. We found out about a week ago. Found out that your claws were beginning to make up new designs on their own. New \i types\i0 of their own. \i Better\i0 types. Down in your underground factories behind our lines. You let them stamp themselves, repair themselves. Made them more and more intricate. It\rquote s your fault this happened.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks examined the photos. They had been snapped hurriedly; they were blurred and indistinct. The first few showed David. David walking along a road, by himself. David and another David. Three Davids. All exactly alike. Each with a ragged teddy bear.\par
All pathetic.\par
\ldblquote Look at the others,\rdblquote Tasso said.\par
The next picture, taken at a great distance, showed a towering wounded soldier sitting by the side of a path, his arm in a sling, the stump of one leg extended, a crude crutch on his lap. Then two wounded soldiers, both the same, standing side by side.\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s \i Variety One\i0 . The Wounded Soldier.\rdblquote Klaus reached out and took the pictures. \ldblquote You see, the claws were designed to get to human beings. To find them. Each kind was better than the last. They got farther, closer, past most of our defenses, into our lines. But as long as they were merely machines, metal spheres with claws and horns, feelers, they could be picked off like any other object. They could be detected as lethal robots as soon as they were seen. Once we caught sight of them\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote\i Variety One\i0 subverted our whole north wing,\rdblquote Rudi said. \ldblquote It was a long time before anyone caught on. Then it was too late. They came in, wounded soldiers, knocking and begging to be let in. So we let them in. And as soon as they were in they took over. We were watching out for machines\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote At that time it was thought there was only the one type,\rdblquote Klaus Epstein said. \ldblquote No one suspected there were other types. The pictures were flashed to us. When the runner was sent to you, we knew of just one type. \i Variety One\i0 . The big Wounded Soldier. We thought that was all.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Your line fell to\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote To \i Variety Three\i0 . David and his bear. That worked even better.\rdblquote Klaus smiled bitterly. \ldblquote Soldiers are suckers for children. We brought them in and tried to feed them. We found out the hard way what they were after. At least, those who were in the bunker.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The three of us were lucky,\rdblquote Rudi said. \ldblquote Klaus and I were\'85 were visiting Tasso when it happened. This is her place.\rdblquote He waved a big hand around. \ldblquote This little cellar. We\'85 finished\'85 and climbed the ladder to start back. From the ridge, we saw. There they were, all around the bunker. Fighting was still going on. David and his bear. Hundreds of them. Klaus took the pictures.\rdblquote\par
Klaus tied up the photographs again.\par
\ldblquote And it\rquote s going on all along your line?\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How about our lines?\rdblquote Without thinking, he touched the tab on his arm. \ldblquote Can they\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They\rquote re not bothered by your radiation tabs. It makes no difference to them, Russian, American, Pole, German. It\rquote s all the same. They\rquote re doing what they were designed to do. Carrying out the original idea. They track down life, wherever they find it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They go by warmth,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote That was the way you constructed them from the very start. Of course, those you designed were kept back by the radiation tabs you wear. Now they\rquote ve got around that. These new varieties are lead-lined.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s the other variety?\rdblquote Hendricks asked. \ldblquote The David type, The Wounded Soldier - what\rquote s the other?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We don\rquote t know.\rdblquote Klaus pointed up at the wall. On the wall were two metal plates, ragged at the edges. Hendricks got up and studied them. They were bent and dented. \ldblquote The one on the left came off a Wounded Soldier,\rdblquote Rudi said. \ldblquote We got one of them. It was going along towards our old bunker. We got it from the ridge, the same way we got the David tagging you.\rdblquote\par
The plate was stamped: \b I-V\b0 . Hendricks touched the other plate. \ldblquote And this came from the David type?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
The plate was stamped: \b III-V\b0 .\par
Klaus took a look at them, leaning over Hendricks\rquote broad shoulder. \ldblquote You can see what we\rquote re up against. There\rquote s another type. Maybe it was abandoned. Maybe it didn\rquote t work. But there must be a \i Second Variety\i0 . There\rquote s \i One\i0 and \i Three\i0 .\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You were lucky,\rdblquote Rudi said. \ldblquote The David tagged you all the way here and never touched you. Probably thought you\rquote d get it into a bunker, somewhere.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote One gets in and it\rquote s all over,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote They move fast. One lets all the rest inside. They\rquote re inflexible. Machines with one purpose. They were built for only one thing.\rdblquote He rubbed sweat from his lip. \ldblquote We saw.\rdblquote\par
They were silent.\par
\ldblquote Let me have another cigarette, Yank,\rdblquote Tasso said. \ldblquote They are good. I almost forgot how they were.\rdblquote\par
It was night. The sky was black. No stars were visible through the rolling clouds of ash. Klaus lifted the lid cautiously so that Hendricks could look out. Rudi pointed into the darkness. \ldblquote Over that way are the bunkers. Where \i we\i0 used to be. Not over a half a mile from us. It was just chance Klaus and I were not there when it happened. Weakness. Saved by our lusts.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote All the rest must be dead,\rdblquote Klaus said in a low voice. \ldblquote It came quickly. This morning the Politburo reached their decision. They notified us - forward command. Our runner was sent out at once. We saw him start towards the direction of your lines. We covered him until he was out of sight.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Alex Radrivsky. We both knew him. He disappeared about six o\rquote clock. The sun had just come up. About noon Klaus and I had an hour relief. We crept off, away from the bunkers. No one was watching. We came here. There used to be a town here, a few houses, a street. This cellar was part of a big farmhouse. We knew Tasso would be here, hiding down in her little place. We had come here before. Others from the bunkers came here. Today happened to be our turn.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So we were saved,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote Chance. It might have been others. We\'85 we finished, and then we came up to the surface and started back along the ridge. That was when we saw them, the Davids. We understood right away. We had seen the photos of the First Variety, the Wounded Soldier. Our Commissar distributed them to us with an explanation. If we had gone another step they would have seen us. As it was we had to blast two Davids before we got back. There were hundreds of them, all around. Like ants. We took pictures and slipped back here, bolting the lid tight.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They\rquote re not so much when you catch them alone. We moved faster than they did. But they\rquote re inexorable. Not like living things. They came right at us. And we blasted them.\rdblquote\par
Major Hendricks rested against the edge of the lid adjusting his eyes to the darkness. \ldblquote Is it safe to have the lid up at all?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If we\rquote re careful. How else can you operate your transmitter?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks lifted the small belt transmitter slowly. He pressed it against his ear. The metal was cold and damp. He blew against the mike, raising up the short antenna. A faint hum sounded in his ear. \ldblquote That\rquote s true, I suppose.\rdblquote But he still hesitated.\par
\ldblquote We\rquote ll pull you under if anything happens,\rdblquote Klaus said.\par
\ldblquote Thanks.\rdblquote Hendricks waited a moment, resting the transmitter against his shoulder. \ldblquote Interesting, isn\rquote t it?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote This, the new types. The new varieties of claws. We\rquote re completely at their mercy, aren\rquote t we? By now they\rquote ve probably gotten into the UN lines, too. It makes me wonder if we\rquote re not seeing the beginning of a new species. \i The\i0 new species. Evolution. The race to come after man.\rdblquote\par
Rudi grunted. \ldblquote There is no race after man.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No? Why not? Maybe we\rquote re seeing it now, the end of human beings, the beginning of the new society.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They\rquote re not a race. They\rquote re mechanical killers. You made them to destroy. That\rquote s all they can do. They\rquote re machines with a job.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote So it seems now. But how about later on? After the war is over. Maybe, when there aren\rquote t any humans to destroy, their real potentialities will begin to show.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You talk as if they were \i alive\i0 !\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Aren\rquote t they?\rdblquote\par
There was silence. \ldblquote They\rquote re machines,\rdblquote Rudi said. \ldblquote They look like people, but they\rquote re machines.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Use your transmitter, Major,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote We can\rquote t stay up here forever.\rdblquote\par
Holding the transmitter tightly Hendricks called the code of the command bunker. He waited, listening. No response. Only silence. He checked the leads carefully. Everything was in place.\par
\ldblquote Scott!\rdblquote he said into the mike. \ldblquote Can you hear me?\rdblquote Silence. He raised the mast up full and tried again. Only static.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t get anything. They may hear me but they may not want to answer.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Tell them it\rquote s an emergency.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They\rquote ll think I\rquote m being forced to call. Under your direction.\rdblquote He tried again, outlining briefly what he had learned. But still the phone was silent, except for the faint static. \ldblquote Radiation pools kill most transmission,\rdblquote Klaus said, after awhile. \ldblquote Maybe that\rquote s it.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks shut the transmitter up. \ldblquote No use. No answer. Radiation pools? Maybe. Or they hear me, but won\rquote t answer. Frankly, that\rquote s what I would do, if a runner tried to call from the Soviet lines. They have no reason to believe such a story. They may hear everything I say-\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Or maybe it\rquote s too late.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks nodded.\par
\ldblquote We better get the lid down,\rdblquote Rudi said nervously. \ldblquote We don\rquote t want to take unnecessary chances.\rdblquote They climbed slowly back down the tunnel. Klaus bolted the lid carefully into place. They descended into the kitchen. The air was heavy and close around them. \ldblquote Could they work that fast?\rdblquote Hendricks said. \ldblquote I left the bunker this noon. Ten hours ago. How could they move so quickly?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It doesn\rquote t take them long. Not after the first one gets in. It goes wild. You know what the little claws can do. Even one of these is beyond belief. Razors, each finger. Maniacal.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote All right.\rdblquote Hendricks moved away impatiently. He stood with his back to them.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s the matter?\rdblquote Rudi said.\par
\ldblquote The Moon base. God, if they\rquote ve gotten there\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The Moon base?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks turned around. \ldblquote They couldn\rquote t have got to the Moon base. How would they get there? It isn\rquote t possible. I can\rquote t believe it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What is this Moon base? We\rquote ve heard rumors, but nothing definite. What is the actual situation? You seem concerned.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We\rquote re supplied from the moon. The governments are there, under the lunar surface. All our people and industries. That\rquote s what keeps us going. If they should find some way of getting off Terra, on to the moon\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It only takes one of them. Once the first one gets in it admits the others. Hundreds of them, all alike. You should have \i seen\i0 them. Identical. Like ants.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Perfect socialism,\rdblquote Tasso said. \ldblquote The ideal of the Communist state. All citizens interchangeable.\rdblquote\par
Klaus grunted angrily. \ldblquote That\rquote s enough. Well? What next?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks paced back and forth, around the small room. The air was full of smells of food and perspiration. The others watched him. Presently Tasso pushed through the curtain, into the other room. \ldblquote I\rquote m going to take a nap.\rdblquote The curtain closed behind her. Rudi and Klaus sat down at the table, still watching Hendricks. \ldblquote It\rquote s up to you,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote We don\rquote t know your situation.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks nodded.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s a problem.\rdblquote Rudi drank some coffee, filling his cup from a rusty pot. \ldblquote We\rquote re safe here for a while, but we can\rquote t stay here forever. Not enough food or supplies.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote But if we go outside\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If we go outside they\rquote ll get us. Or probably they\rquote ll get us. We couldn\rquote t go very far. How far is your command bunker, Major?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What if they\rquote re already there?\rdblquote Klaus said.\par
Rudi shrugged. \ldblquote Well, then we come back here.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks stopped pacing. \ldblquote What do you think the chances are they\rquote re already in the American lines?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Hard to say. Fairly good. They\rquote re organized. They know exactly what they\rquote re doing. Once they start they go like a horde of locusts. They have to keep moving, and fast. It\rquote s secrecy and speed they depend on. Surprise. They push their way in before anyone has any idea.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I see,\rdblquote Hendricks murmured.\par
From the other room Tasso stirred. \ldblquote Major?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks pushed the curtain back. \ldblquote What?\rdblquote\par
Tasso looked up at him lazily from the cot. \ldblquote Have you any more American cigarettes left?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks went into the room and sat down across from her, on a wood stool. He felt in his pockets. \ldblquote No. All gone.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Too bad.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What nationality are you?\rdblquote Hendricks asked after a while.\par
\ldblquote Russian.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How did you get here?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Here?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote This used to be France. This was part of Normandy. Did you come with the Soviet army?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Just curious.\rdblquote He studied her. She had taken off her coat, tossing it over the end of the cot. She was young, about twenty. Slim. Her long hair stretched out over the pillow. She was staring at him silently, her eyes dark and large.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s on your mind?\rdblquote Tasso said.\par
\ldblquote Nothing. How old are you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Eighteen.\rdblquote She continued to watch him, unblinking, her arms behind her head. She had on Russian army pants and shirt. Gray-green. Thick leather belt with counter and cartridges. Medicine kit.\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re in the Soviet army?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Where did you get the uniform?\rdblquote\par
She shrugged. \ldblquote It was given to me,\rdblquote she told him.\par
\ldblquote How\'85 how old were you when you came here?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Sixteen.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That young?\rdblquote\par
Her eyes narrowed. \ldblquote What do you mean?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks rubbed his jaw. \ldblquote Your life would have been a lot different if there had been no war. Sixteen. You came here at sixteen. To live this way.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I had to survive.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m not moralizing.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Your life would have been different, too,\rdblquote Tasso murmured. She reached down and unfastened one of her boots. She kicked the boot off, on to the floor. \ldblquote Major, do you want to go in the other room? I\rquote m sleepy.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s going to be a problem, the four of us here. It\rquote s going to be hard to live in these quarters. Are there just two rooms?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How big was the cellar originally? Was it larger than this? Are there other rooms filled up with debris? We might be able to open one of them.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Perhaps. I really don\rquote t know.\rdblquote Tasso loosened her belt. She made herself comfortable on the cot, unbuttoning her shirt. \ldblquote You\rquote re sure you have no more cigarettes?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I had only the one pack.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Too bad. Maybe if we get back to your bunker we can find some.\rdblquote The other boot fell. Tasso reached up for the light cord. \ldblquote Good night.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re going to sleep?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s right.\rdblquote\par
The room plunged into darkness. Hendricks got up and made his way past the curtain, into the kitchen. And stopped, rigid.\par
\par
Rudi stood against the wall, his feet white and gloaming. His mouth opened and closed but no sounds came. Klaus stood in front of him, the muzzle of his pistol in Rudi\rquote s stomach. Neither of them moved. Klaus, his hand tight around his gun, his features set. Rudi, pale and silent, spread-eagled against the wall.\par
\ldblquote What\rdblquote Hendricks muttered, but Klaus cut him off.\par
\ldblquote Be quiet, Major. Come over here. Your gun. Get out your gun.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks drew his pistol. \ldblquote What is it?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Cover him.\rdblquote Klaus motioned him forward. \ldblquote Beside me. Hurry!\rdblquote\par
Rudi moved a little, lowering his arms. He turned to Hendricks, licking his lips. The whites of his eyes shone wildly. Sweat dripped from his forehead, down his cheeks. He fixed his gaze on Hendricks. \ldblquote Major, he\rquote s gone insane. Stop him.\rdblquote Rudi\rquote s voice was thin and hoarse, almost inaudible.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s going on?\rdblquote Hendricks demanded.\par
Without lowering his pistol Klaus answered. \ldblquote Major, remember our discussion? The three varieties? We knew about \i One\i0 and \i Three\i0 . But we didn\rquote t know about \i Two\i0 . At least, we didn\rquote t know before.\rdblquote Klaus\rquote fingers tightened around the gun butt. \ldblquote We didn\rquote t know before, but we know now.\rdblquote He pressed the trigger. A burst of white heat rolled out of the gun, licking around Rudi.\par
\ldblquote Major, this is the \i Second Variety\i0 .\rdblquote\par
Tasso swept the curtain aside. \ldblquote Klaus! What did you do?\rdblquote\par
Klaus turned from the charred form, gradually sinking down the wall on to the floor. \ldblquote The \i Second Variety\i0 , Tasso. Now we know. We have all three types identified. The danger is less. I -\rdblquote\par
Tasso stared past him at the remains of Rudi, at the blackened, smoldering fragments and bits of cloth. \ldblquote You killed him.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Him? It, you mean. I was watching. I had a feeling, but I wasn\rquote t sure. At least, I wasn\rquote t sure before. But this evening I was certain.\rdblquote Klaus rubbed his pistol butt nervously. \ldblquote We\rquote re lucky. Don\rquote t you understand? Another hour and it might -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You were certain?\rdblquote Tasso pushed past him and bent down, over the steaming remains on the floor. Her face became hard. \ldblquote Major, see for yourself. Bones. Flesh.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks bent down beside her. The remains were human remains. Seared flesh, charred bone fragments, part of a skull. Ligaments, viscera, blood. Blood forming a pool against the wall.\par
\ldblquote No wheels,\rdblquote Tasso said calmly. She straightened up. \ldblquote No wheels, no parts, no relays. Not a claw. Not the \i Second Variety\i0 .\rdblquote She folded her arms. \ldblquote You\rquote re going to have to be able to explain this.\rdblquote\par
Klaus sat down at the table, all the color drained suddenly from his face. He put his head in his hands and rocked back and forth.\par
\ldblquote Snap out of it.\rdblquote Tasso\rquote s fingers closed over his shoulder.\par
\ldblquote Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote He was frightened,\rdblquote Hendricks said. \ldblquote All this, the whole thing, building up around us.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What, then? What do you think?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I think he may have had a reason for killing Rudi. A good reason.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What reason?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe Rudi learned something.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks studied her bleak face. \ldblquote About what?\rdblquote he asked.\par
\ldblquote About him. About Klaus.\rdblquote\par
Klaus looked up quickly. \ldblquote You can see what she\rquote s trying to say. She thinks \i I\rquote m\i0 the \i Second Variety\i0 . Don\rquote t you see, Major? Now she wants you to believe I killed him on purpose. That I\rquote m -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why did you kill him, then?\rdblquote Tasso said.\par
\ldblquote I told you.\rdblquote Klaus shook his head wearily. \ldblquote I thought he was a claw. I thought I knew.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I had been watching him. I was suspicious.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I thought I had something. Heard something. I thought I heard him \i whirr\i0 .\rdblquote\par
There was silence.\par
\ldblquote Do you believe that?\rdblquote Tasso said to Hendricks.\par
\ldblquote Yes. I believe what he says.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t. I think he killed Rudi for a good purpose.\rdblquote Tasso touched the rifle, resting in the corner of the room. \ldblquote Major -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote Hendricks shook his head. \ldblquote Let\rquote s stop it right now. One is enough. We\rquote re afraid, the way \i he\i0 was. If we kill him we\rquote ll be doing what he did to Rudi.\rdblquote\par
Klaus looked gratefully up at him. \ldblquote Thanks. I was afraid. You understand, don\rquote t you? Now she\rquote s afraid, the way I was. She wants to kill me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No more killing.\rdblquote Hendricks moved towards the end of the ladder. \ldblquote I\rquote m going above and try the transmitter once more. If I can\rquote t get them we\rquote re moving back towards my lines tomorrow morning.\rdblquote\par
Klaus rose quickly. \ldblquote I\rquote ll come up with you and give you a hand.\rdblquote\par
\par
The night air was cold. The earth was cooling off. Klaus took a deep breath, filling his lungs. He and Hendricks stepped on to the ground, out of the tunnel. Klaus planted his feet wide apart, the rifle up, watching and listening. Hendricks crouched by the tunnel mouth, turning the small transmitter.\par
\ldblquote Any luck?\rdblquote Klaus asked presently.\par
\ldblquote Not yet.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Keep trying. Tell them what happened.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks kept trying. Without success. Finally he lowered the antenna. \ldblquote It\rquote s useless. They can\rquote t hear me. Or they hear me and won\rquote t answer. Or\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Or they don\rquote t exist.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll try once more.\rdblquote Hendricks raised the antenna. \ldblquote Scott, can you hear me? Come in!\rdblquote\par
He listened. There was only static. Then, still very faintly, \ldblquote This is Scott.\rdblquote\par
His fingers tightened. \ldblquote Scott! Is it you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote This is Scott.\rdblquote\par
Klaus squatted down. \ldblquote Is it your command?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Scott, listen. Do you understand? About them, the claws. Did you get my message? Did you hear me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote Faintly. Almost inaudible. He could hardly make out the word.\par
\ldblquote You got my message? Is everything all right at the bunker? None of them have got in?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Everything is all right.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Have they tried to get in?\rdblquote\par
The voice was weaker.\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks turned to Klaus. \ldblquote They\rquote re all right.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Have they been attacked?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote Hendricks pressed the phone tighter to his ear. \ldblquote Scott, I can hardly hear you. Have you notified the Moon Base? Do they know? Are they alerted?\rdblquote\par
No answer.\par
\ldblquote Scott! Can you hear me?\rdblquote\par
Silence.\par
Hendricks relaxed, sagging. \ldblquote Faded out. Must be radiation pools.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks and Klaus looked at each other. Neither of them said anything. After a time Klaus said, \ldblquote Did it sound like any of your men? Could you identify the voice?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It was too faint.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You couldn\rquote t be certain?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then it could have been\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know. Now I\rquote m not sure. Let\rquote s go back down and get the lid closed.\rdblquote\par
They climbed back down the ladder slowly into the warm cellar. Klaus bolted the lid behind them. Tasso waited for them, her face expressionless.\par
\ldblquote Any luck?\rdblquote she asked.\par
Neither of them answered. \ldblquote Well?\rdblquote Klaus said at last. \ldblquote What do \i you\i0 think, Major? Was it your officer, or was it one of them?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t know.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Then we\rquote re just where we were before.\rdblquote Hendricks stared down at the floor, his jaw set. \ldblquote We\rquote ll have to go. To be sure.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Anyhow, we have food here for only a few weeks. We\rquote d have to go up after that, in any case.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Apparently so.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s wrong?\rdblquote Tasso demanded. \ldblquote Did you get across to your bunker? What\rquote s the matter?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It may have been one of my men,\rdblquote Hendricks said slowly. \ldblquote Or it may have been one of them. But we\rquote ll never know standing here.\rdblquote He examined his watch. \ldblquote Let\rquote s turn in and get some sleep. We want to be up early tomorrow.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Early?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Our best chance to get through the claws should be early in the morning,\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\par
The morning was crisp and clear. Major Hendricks studied the countryside through his field-glasses.\par
\ldblquote See anything?\rdblquote Klaus said.\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Can you make out our bunkers?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Which way?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Here.\rdblquote Klaus took the glasses and adjusted them. \ldblquote I know where to look.\rdblquote He looked a long time, silently. Tasso came to the top of the tunnel and stepped up on to the ground. \ldblquote Anything?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote Klaus passed the glasses back to Hendricks. \ldblquote They\rquote re out of sight. Come on. Let\rquote s not stay here.\rdblquote The three of them made their way down the side of the ridge, sliding in the soft ash. Across a flat rock a lizard scuttled. They stopped instantly, rigid.\par
\ldblquote What was it?\rdblquote Klaus muttered.\par
\ldblquote A lizard.\rdblquote\par
The lizard ran on, hurrying through the ash. It was exactly the same color as the ash.\par
\ldblquote Perfect adaptation,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote Proves we were right. Lysenko, I mean.\rdblquote\par
They reached the bottom of the ridge and stopped, standing close together, looking around them. \ldblquote Let\rquote s go.\rdblquote Hendricks started off. \ldblquote It\rquote s a good long trip, on foot.\rdblquote\par
Klaus fell in beside him. Tasso walked behind, her pistol held alertly. \ldblquote Major, I\rquote ve been meaning to ask you something,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote How did you run across the David? The one that was tagging you.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I met it along the way. In some ruins.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What did it say?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Not much. It said it was alone. By itself.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You couldn\rquote t tell it was a machine? It talked like a living person? You never suspected?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It didn\rquote t say much. I noticed nothing unusual.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s strange, machines so much like people that you can be fooled. Almost alive. I wonder where it\rquote ll end.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote They\rquote re doing what you Yanks designed them to do,\rdblquote Tasso said. \ldblquote You designed them to hunt out life and destroy. Human life. Wherever they find it.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks was watching Klaus intently. \ldblquote Why did you ask me? What\rquote s on your mind?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Nothing,\rdblquote Klaus answered.\par
\ldblquote Klaus thinks you\rquote re the \i Second Variety\i0 ,\rdblquote Tasso said calmly, from behind them. \ldblquote Now he\rquote s got his eye on you.\rdblquote\par
Klaus flushed. \ldblquote Why not? We sent a runner to the Yank lines and he comes back. Maybe he thought he\rquote d find some good game here.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks laughed harshly. \ldblquote I came from the UN bunkers. There were human beings all around me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe you saw an opportunity to get into the Soviet lines. Maybe you saw your chance. Maybe you -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The Soviet lines had already been taken over. Your lines had been invaded before I left my command bunker. Don\rquote t forget that.\rdblquote\par
Tasso came up beside him. \ldblquote That proves nothing at all, Major.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why not?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote There appears to be little communication between the varieties. Each is made in a different factory. They don\rquote t seem to work together. You might have started for the Soviet lines without knowing anything about the work of the other varieties. Or even what the other varieties were like.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How do you know so much about the claws?\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ve seen them. I\rquote ve observed them. I observed them take over the Soviet bunkers.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You know quite a lot,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote Actually, you saw very little. Strange that you should have been such an acute observer.\rdblquote\par
Tasso laughed. \ldblquote Do you suspect me, now?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Forget it,\rdblquote Hendricks said. They walked on in silence.\par
\ldblquote Are we going the whole way on foot?\rdblquote Tasso said, after a while. \ldblquote I\rquote m not used to walking.\rdblquote She gazed around at the plain of ash, stretching out on all sides of them, as far as they could see. \ldblquote How dreary.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s like this all the way,\rdblquote Klaus said.\par
\ldblquote In a way I wish you had been in your bunker when the attack came.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Somebody else would have been with you, if not me,\rdblquote Klaus muttered.\par
Tasso laughed, putting her hands in her pockets. \ldblquote I suppose so.\rdblquote\par
They walked on, keeping their eyes on the vast plain of silent ash around them.\par
The sun was setting. Hendricks made his way forward slowly, waving Tasso and Klaus back. Klaus squatted down, resting his gun butt against the ground. Tasso found a concrete slab and sat down with a sigh.\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s good to rest.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Be quiet,\rdblquote Klaus said sharply.\par
Hendricks pushed up to the top of the rise ahead of them. The same rise the Russian runner had come up, the day before. Hendricks dropped down, stretching himself out, peering through his glasses at what lay beyond. Nothing was visible. Only ash and occasional trees. But there, not more than fifty yards ahead, was the entrance of the forward command bunker. The bunker from which he had come. Hendricks watched silently. No motion. No sign of life. Nothing stirred.\par
Klaus slithered up beside him. \ldblquote Where is it?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Down there.\rdblquote Hendricks passed him the glasses. Clouds of ash rolled across the evening sky. The world was darkening. They had a couple of hours of light left, at the most. Probably not that much.\par
\ldblquote I don\rquote t see anything,\rdblquote Klaus said.\par
\ldblquote That tree there. The stump. By the pile of bricks. The entrance is to the right of the bricks.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll have to take your word for it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You and Tasso cover me from here. You\rquote ll be able to sight all the way to the bunker entrance.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re going down alone?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote With my wrist tab I\rquote ll be safe. The ground around the bunker is a living field of claws. They collect down in the ash. Like crabs. Without tabs you wouldn\rquote t have a chance.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Maybe you\rquote re right.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll walk slowly all the way. As soon as I know for certain -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If they\rquote re down inside the bunker you won\rquote t be able to get back up here. They go fast. You don\rquote t realize.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What do you suggest?\rdblquote\par
Klaus considered. \ldblquote I don\rquote t know. Get them to come up to the surface. So you can see.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks brought his transmitter from his belt, raising the antenna. \ldblquote Let\rquote s get started.\rdblquote\par
Klaus signaled to Tasso. She crawled expertly up the side of the rise to where they were sitting.\par
\ldblquote He\rquote s going down alone,\rdblquote Klaus said. \ldblquote We\rquote ll cover him from here. As soon as you see him start back, fire past him at once. They come quick.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote re not very optimistic,\rdblquote Tasso said.\par
\ldblquote No, I\rquote m not.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks opened the breech of his gun, checking it carefully. \ldblquote Maybe things are all right.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You didn\rquote t see them. Hundreds of them. All the same. Pouring out like ants.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I should be able to find out without going down all the way.\rdblquote Hendricks locked his gun, gripping it in one hand, the transmitter in the other. \ldblquote Well, wish me luck.\rdblquote\par
Klaus put out his hand. \ldblquote Don\rquote t go down until you\rquote re sure. Talk to them from up here. Make them show themselves.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks stood up. He stepped down the side of the rise. A moment later he was walking slowly towards the pile of bricks and debris beside the dead tree stump. Towards the entrance of the forward command bunker. Nothing stirred. He raised the transmitter, clicking it on.\par
\ldblquote Scott? Can you hear me?\rdblquote\par
Silence.\par
\ldblquote Scott! This is Hendricks. Can you hear me? I\rquote m standing outside the bunker. You should be able to see me in the view sight.\rdblquote\par
He listened, the transmitter gripped tightly. No sound. Only static. He walked forward. A claw burrowed out of the ash and raced towards him, studied him intently, and then fell in behind him, dogging respectfully after him, a few paces away. A moment later a second big claw joined it. Silently, the claws trailed him, as he walked slowly towards the bunker.\par
Hendricks stopped, and behind him, the claws came to a halt. He was close now. Almost to the bunker steps. \ldblquote\i Scott\i0 ! Can you hear me? I\rquote m standing right above you. Outside. On the surface. Are you picking me up?\rdblquote He waited, holding his gun against his side, the transmitter tightly to his ear. Time passed. He strained to hear, but there was only silence, and faint static.\par
Then, distantly, metallically, \ldblquote This is Scott.\rdblquote\par
The voice was neutral. Cold. He could not identify it. But the earphone was minute.\par
\ldblquote Scott, listen. I\rquote m standing right above you. I\rquote m on the surface, looking down into the bunker entrance.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Can you see me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Through the view sight? You have the sight trained on me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks pondered. A circle of claws waited quietly on all sides of him. \ldblquote Is everything all right in the bunker? Nothing unusual has happened?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Everything is all right.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Will you come up to the surface? I want to see you for a moment.\rdblquote Hendricks took a deep breath. \ldblquote Come up here with me. I want to talk to you.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Come down.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m giving you an order.\rdblquote\par
Silence.\par
\ldblquote Are you coming?\rdblquote Hendricks listened. There was no response. \ldblquote I order you to come to the surface.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Come down.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks set his jaw. \ldblquote Let me talk to Leone.\rdblquote\par
There was a long pause. He listened to the static. Then a voice came, hard, thin, metallic. The same as the other. \ldblquote This is Leone.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Hendricks. I\rquote m on the surface. At the bunker entrance. I want one of you to come up here.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Come down.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why come down? I\rquote m giving you an order!\rdblquote Silence. Hendricks lowered the transmitter. He looked carefully around him. The entrance was just ahead. Almost at his feet. He lowered the antenna and fastened the transmitter to his belt. Carefully, he gripped his gun with both hands. He moved forward, a step at a time. If they could see him they knew he was starting towards the entrance. He closed his eyes a moment.\par
Then he put his foot on the first step that led downward. Two Davids came up at him, their faces identical and expressionless. He blasted them into particles. More came rushing silently up, a whole pack of them. All exactly the same.\par
Hendricks turned and raced back, away from the bunker, back towards the rise.\par
At the top of the rise Tasso and Klaus were firing down. The small claws were already streaking up toward them, shining metal spheres going fast, racing frantically through the ash. But he had no time to think about that.\par
He knelt down, aiming at the bunker entrance, gun against his cheek. The Davids were coming out in groups, clutching their teddy bears, their thin knobby legs pumping as they ran up the steps to the surface. Hendricks fired into the main body of them. They burst apart, wheels and springs flying in all directions. He fired again, through the mist of particles.\par
A giant lumbering figure rose up in the bunker entrance, tall and swaying. Hendricks paused, amazed. A man, a soldier. With one leg, supporting himself with a crutch.\par
\ldblquote Major!\rdblquote Tasso\rquote s voice came. More firing. The huge figure moved forward, Davids swarming around it. Hendricks broke out of his freeze. The \i First Variety\i0 . The Wounded Soldier. He aimed and fired. The soldier burst into bits, parts and relays flying. Now many Davids were out on the flat ground, away from the bunker. He fired again and again, moving slowly back, half-crouching and aiming. From the rise, Klaus fired down. The side of the rise was alive with claws making their way up. Hendricks retreated towards the rise, running and crouching. Tasso had left Klaus and was circling slowly to the right, moving away from the rise.\par
A David slipped up towards him, its small white face expressionless, brown hair hanging down in its eyes. It bent over suddenly, opening its arms. Its teddy bear hurtled down and leaped across the ground, bounding towards him. Hendricks fired. The bear and the David both dissolved. He grinned, blinking. It was like a dream.\par
\ldblquote Up here!\rdblquote Tasso\rquote s voice. Hendricks made his way towards her. She was over by some columns of concrete, walls of a ruined building. She was firing past him, with the hand pistol Klaus had given her.\par
\ldblquote Thanks.\rdblquote He joined her, gasping for breath. She pulled him back, behind the concrete, fumbling at her belt. \ldblquote Close your eyes!\rdblquote She unfastened a globe from her waist. Rapidly, she unscrewed the cap, locking it into place. \ldblquote Close your eyes and get down.\rdblquote\par
She threw the bomb. It sailed in an arc, an expert, rolling and bouncing to the entrance of the bunker. Two Wounded Soldiers stood uncertainly by the brick pile. More Davids poured from behind them, out on to the plain. One of the Wounded Soldiers moved towards the bomb, stooping awkwardly down to pick it up.\par
The bomb went off. The concussion whirled Hendricks around, throwing him on his face. A hot wind rolled over him. Dimly he saw Tasso standing behind the columns, firing slowly and methodically at the Davids coming out of the raging clouds of white fire.\par
Back along the rise Klaus struggled with a ring of claws circling around him. He retreated, blasting at them and moving back, trying to break through the ring. Hendricks struggled to his feet. His head ached. He could hardly see. Everything was licking at him, raging and whirling. His right arm would not move.\par
Tasso pulled back toward him. \ldblquote Come on. Let\rquote s go.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Klaus - He\rquote s still up there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Come on!\rdblquote Tasso dragged Hendricks back, away from the columns. Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it. Tasso led him rapidly away, her eyes intense and bright, watching for claws that had escaped the blast. One David came out of the rolling clouds of flame. Tasso blasted it. No more appeared.\par
\ldblquote But Klaus. What about him?\rdblquote Hendricks stopped, standing unsteadily. \ldblquote He -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Come on!\rdblquote\par
They retreated, moving farther and farther away from the bunker. A few small claws followed them for a little while and then gave up, turning back and going off. At last Tasso stopped. \ldblquote We can stop here and get our breaths.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks sat down on some heaps of debris. He wiped his neck, gasping. \ldblquote We left Klaus back there.\rdblquote Tasso said nothing. She opened her gun, sliding a fresh round of blast cartridges into place.\par
Hendricks stared at her, dazed. \ldblquote You left him back there on purpose.\rdblquote\par
Tasso snapped the gun together. She studied the heaps of rubble around them, her face expressionless. As if she were watching for something.\par
\ldblquote What is it?\rdblquote Hendricks demanded. \ldblquote What are you looking for? Is something coming?\rdblquote He shook his head, trying to understand. What was she doing? What was she waiting for? He could see nothing. Ash lay all around them, ash and ruins. Occasional stark tree trunks, without leaves or branches. \ldblquote What -\rdblquote\par
Tasso cut him off. \ldblquote Be still.\rdblquote Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly her gun came up. Hendricks turned, following her gaze. Back the way they had come a figure appeared. The figure walked unsteadily toward them. Its clothes were torn. It limped as it made its way along, going very slowly and carefully. Stopping now and then, resting and getting its strength. Once it almost fell. It stood for a moment, trying to steady itself. Then it came on.\par
Klaus.\par
Hendricks stood up. \ldblquote Klaus!\rdblquote He started towards him.\par
\ldblquote How the hell did you -\rdblquote\par
Tasso fired. Hendricks swung back. She fired again, the blast passing him, a searing line of heat. The beam caught Klaus in the chest. He exploded, gears and wheels flying. For a moment he continued to walk. Then he swayed back and forth. He crashed to the ground, his arms flung out. A few more wheels rolled away.\par
Silence.\par
Tasso turned to Hendricks. \ldblquote Now you understand why he killed Rudi.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks sat down again slowly. He shook his head. He was numb. He could not think.\par
\ldblquote Do you see?\rdblquote Tasso said. \ldblquote Do you understand?\rdblquote Hendricks said nothing. Everything was slipping away from him, faster and faster. Darkness, rolling and plucking at him. He closed his eyes.\par
Hendricks opened his eyes slowly. His body ached all over. He tried to sit up but needles of pain shot through his arm and shoulder. He gasped.\par
\ldblquote Don\rquote t try to get up,\rdblquote Tasso said. She bent down, putting her cold hand against his forehead.\par
It was night. A few stars glinted above, shining through the drifting clouds of ash. Hendricks lay back, his teeth locked. Tasso watched him impassively. She had built a fire with some wood and weeds. The fire licked feebly, hissing at a metal cup suspended over it. Everything was silent. Unmoving darkness, beyond the fire.\par
\ldblquote So he was the \i Second Variety\i0 ,\rdblquote Hendricks murmured.\par
\ldblquote I had always thought so.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why didn\rquote t you destroy him sooner?\rdblquote he wanted to know.\par
\ldblquote You held me back.\rdblquote Tasso crossed to the fire to look into the metal cup. \ldblquote Coffee. It\rquote ll be ready to drink in a while.\rdblquote\par
She came back and sat down beside him. Presently she opened her pistol and began to disassemble the firing mechanism, studying it intently.\par
\ldblquote This is a beautiful gun,\rdblquote Tasso said, half-aloud. \ldblquote The construction is superb.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What about them? The claws.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The concussion from the bomb put most of them out of action. They\rquote re delicate. Highly organized, I suppose.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The Davids, too?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How did you happen to have a bomb like that?\rdblquote\par
Tasso shrugged. \ldblquote We designed it. You shouldn\rquote t underestimate our technology, Major. Without such a bomb you and I would no longer exist.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Very useful.\rdblquote\par
Tasso stretched out her legs, warming her feet in the heat of the fire. \ldblquote It surprised me that you did not seem to understand, after he killed Rudi. Why did you think he -\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I told you. I thought he was afraid.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Really? You know, Major, for a little while I suspected you. Because you wouldn\rquote t let me kill him. I thought you might be protecting him.\rdblquote She laughed.\par
\ldblquote Are we safe here?\rdblquote Hendricks asked presently.\par
\ldblquote For a while. Until they get reinforcements from some other area.\rdblquote Tasso began to clean the interior of the gun with a bit of rag. She finished and pushed the mechanism back into place. She closed the gun, running her fingers along the barrel.\par
\ldblquote We were lucky,\rdblquote Hendricks murmured.\par
\ldblquote Yes. Very lucky.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Thanks for pulling me away.\rdblquote\par
Tasso did not answer. She glanced up at him, her eyes bright in the firelight. Hendricks examined his arm. He could not move his fingers. His whole side seemed numb. Down inside him was a dull steady ache.\par
\ldblquote How do you feel?\rdblquote Tasso asked.\par
\ldblquote My arm is damaged.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Anything else?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Internal injuries.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You didn\rquote t get down when the bomb went off.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks said nothing. He watched Tasso pour the coffee from the cup into a flat metal pan. She brought it over to him.\par
\ldblquote Thanks.\rdblquote He struggled up enough to drink. It was hard to swallow. His insides turned over and he pushed the pan away. \ldblquote That\rquote s all I can drink now.\rdblquote\par
\par
Tasso drank the rest. Time passed. The clouds of ash moved across the dark sky above them. Hendricks rested, his mind blank. After a while he became aware that Tasso was standing over him, gazing down at him. \ldblquote What is it?\rdblquote he murmured.\par
\ldblquote Do you feel any better?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Some.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You know, Major, if I hadn\rquote t dragged you away they would have got you. You would be dead. Like Rudi.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I know.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Do you want to know why I brought you out? I could have left you. I could have left you there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why did you bring me out?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Because we have to get away from here.\rdblquote Tasso stirred the fire with a stick, peering calmly down into it. \ldblquote No human being can live here. When their reinforcements come we won\rquote t have a chance. I\rquote ve pondered about it while you were unconscious. We have perhaps three hours before they come.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And you expect me to get us away?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That\rquote s right. I expect you to get us out of here.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Because I don\rquote t know any way.\rdblquote Her eyes shone at him in the half-light, bright and steady. \ldblquote If you can\rquote t get us out of here they\rquote ll kill us within three hours. I see nothing else ahead. Well, Major? What are you going to do? I\rquote ve been waiting all night. While you were unconscious I sat here, waiting and listening. It\rquote s almost dawn. The night is almost over.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks considered. \ldblquote It\rquote s curious,\rdblquote he said at last.\par
\ldblquote Curious?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That you should think I can get us out of here. I wonder what you think I can do.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Can you get us to the Moon base?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The Moon base? How?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote There must be some way.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks shook his head. \ldblquote No. There\rquote s no way that I know of.\rdblquote\par
Tasso said nothing. For a moment her steady gaze wavered. She ducked her head, turning abruptly away. She scrambled to her feet. \ldblquote More coffee?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Suit yourself.\rdblquote Tasso drank silently. He could not see her face. He lay back against the ground, deep in thought, trying to concentrate. It was hard to think. His head still hurt. And the numbing daze still hung over him. \ldblquote There might be one way,\rdblquote he said suddenly.\par
\ldblquote Oh?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How soon is dawn?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Two hours. The sun will be coming up shortly.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote There\rquote s supposed to be a ship near here. I\rquote ve never seen it. But I know it exists.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What kind of a ship?\rdblquote Her voice was sharp.\par
\ldblquote A rocket cruiser.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Will it take us off? To the Moon base?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote It\rquote s supposed to. In case of emergency.\rdblquote He rubbed his forehead.\par
\ldblquote What\rquote s wrong?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote My head. It\rquote s hard to think, can hardly\'85 hardly concentrate. The bomb.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Is the ship near here?\rdblquote Tasso slid over beside him, settling down on her haunches. \ldblquote How far is it? Where is it?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m trying to think.\rdblquote\par
Her fingers dug into his arm. \ldblquote Nearby?\rdblquote Her voice was like iron. \ldblquote Where would it be? Would they store it underground? Hidden underground?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes. In a storage locker.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How do we find it? Is it marked? Is there a code marker to identify it?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks concentrated. \ldblquote No. No markings. No code symbol.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What, then?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote A sign.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What sort of sign?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks did not answer. In the flickering light his eyes were glazed, two sightless orbs. Tasso\rquote s fingers dug into his arm.\par
\ldblquote What sort of sign? What is it?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I can\rquote t think. Let me rest.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote All right.\rdblquote She let go and stood up. Hendricks lay back against the ground, his eyes closed. Tasso walked away from him, her hands in her pockets. She kicked a rock out of her way and stood staring up at the sky. The night blackness was already beginning to fade into gray. Morning was coming.\par
Tasso gripped her pistol and walked around the fire in a circle, back and forth. On the ground Major Hendricks lay, his eyes closed, unmoving. The grayness rose in the sky, higher and higher. The landscape became visible, fields of ash stretching out in all directions. Ash and ruins of buildings, a wall here and there, heaps of concrete, the naked trunk of a tree.\par
The air was cold and sharp. Somewhere a long way off a bird made a few bleak sounds.\par
Hendricks stirred. He opened his eyes. \ldblquote Is it dawn? Already?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks sat up a little. \ldblquote You wanted to know something. You were asking me.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Do you remember now?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote What is it?\rdblquote She tensed. \ldblquote What?\rdblquote she repeated sharply. \ldblquote A well. A ruined well. It\rquote s in a storage locker under a well.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote A well.\rdblquote Tasso relaxed. \ldblquote Then we\rquote ll find a well.\rdblquote She looked at her watch. \ldblquote We have about an hour, Major. Do you think we can find it in an hour?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Give me a hand up,\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
Tasso put her pistol away and helped him to his feet.\par
\ldblquote This is going to be difficult.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes it is.\rdblquote Hendricks set his lips tightly. \ldblquote I don\rquote t think we\rquote re going to go very far.\rdblquote\par
They began to walk. The early sun cast a little warmth down on them. The land was flat and barren, stretching out gray and lifeless as far as they could see. A few birds sailed silently, far above them, circling slowly. \ldblquote See anything?\rdblquote Hendricks said. \ldblquote Any claws?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No. Not yet.\rdblquote\par
They passed through some ruins, upright concrete and bricks. A cement foundation. Rats scuttled away. Tasso jumped back warily.\par
\ldblquote This used to be a town,\rdblquote Hendricks said. \ldblquote A village. Provincial village. This was all grape country, once. Where we are now.\rdblquote\par
They came on to a ruined street, weeds and cracks crisscrossing it. Over to the right a stone chimney stuck up. \ldblquote Be careful,\rdblquote he warned her.\par
A pit yawned, an open basement. Ragged ends of pipes jutted up, twisted and bent. They passed part of a house, a bathtub turned on its side. A broken chair. A few spoons and bits of china dishes. In the center of the street the ground had sunk away. The depression was filled with weeds and debris and bones.\par
\ldblquote Over here,\rdblquote Hendricks murmured.\par
\ldblquote This way?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote To the right.\rdblquote\par
They passed the remains of a heavy-duty tank. Hendricks\rquote belt counter clicked ominously. The tank had been radiation blasted. A few feet from the tank a mummified body lay sprawled out, mouth open. Beyond the road was a flat field. Stones and weeds, and bits of broken glass. \ldblquote There,\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
A stone well jutted up, sagging and broken. A few boards lay across it. Most of the well had sunk into rubble. Hendricks walked unsteadily toward it, Tasso beside him.\par
\ldblquote Are you certain about this?\rdblquote Tasso said. \ldblquote This doesn\rquote t look like anything.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote m sure.\rdblquote Hendricks sat down at the edge of the well, his teeth locked. His breath came quickly. He wiped perspiration from his face. \ldblquote This was arranged so the senior command officer could get away. If anything happened. If the bunker fell.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote That was you?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Where is the ship? Is it here?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote We\rquote re standing on it.\rdblquote Hendricks ran his hands over the surface of the well stones. \ldblquote The eye-lock responds to me, not to anybody else. It\rquote s my ship. Or it was supposed to be.\rdblquote There was a sharp click. Presently they heard a low grating sound from below them.\par
\ldblquote Step back,\rdblquote Hendricks said. He and Tasso moved away from the well.\par
A section of the ground slid back. A metal frame pushed slowly up through the ash, shoving bricks and weeds out of the way. The action ceased, as the ship nosed into view. \ldblquote There it is,\rdblquote Hendricks said.\par
The ship was small. It rested quietly, suspended in its mesh frame, like a blunt needle. A rain of ash sifted down into the dark cavity from which the ship had been raised. Hendricks made his way over to it. He mounted the mesh and unscrewed the hatch, pulling it back. Inside the ship the control banks and the pressure seat were visible.\par
Tasso came and stood beside him, gazing into the ship. \ldblquote I\rquote m not accustomed to rocket piloting,\rdblquote she said, after a while.\par
Hendricks glanced at her. \ldblquote I\rquote ll do the piloting.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Will you? There\rquote s only one seat, Major. I can see it\rquote s built to carry only a single person.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks\rquote breathing changed. He studied the interior of the ship intently. Tasso was right. There was only one seat. The ship was built to carry only one person. \ldblquote I see,\rdblquote he said slowly. \ldblquote And the one person is you.\rdblquote\par
She nodded. \ldblquote Of course.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Why?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You can\rquote t go. You might not live through the trip. You\rquote re injured. You probably wouldn\rquote t get there.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote An interesting point. But you see, I know where the Moon base is. And you don\rquote t. You might fly around for months and not find it. It\rquote s well hidden. Without knowing what to look for\'85\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll have to take my chances. Maybe I won\rquote t find it. Not by myself. But I think you\rquote ll give me all the information I need. Your life depends on it.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote How?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote If I find the Moon base in time, perhaps I can get them to send a ship back to pick you up. If I find the base in time. If not, then you haven\rquote t a chance. I imagine there are supplies on the ship. They will last me long enough\'85\rdblquote\par
Hendricks moved quickly. But his injured arm betrayed him. Tasso ducked, sliding lithely aside. Her hand came up, lightning fast. Hendricks saw the gun butt coming. He tried to ward off the blow, but she was too fast. The metal butt struck against the side of his head, just above his ear. Numbing pain rushed through him. Pain and rolling clouds of blackness. He sank down, sliding to the ground. Dimly, he was aware that Tasso was standing over him, kicking him with her toe.\par
\ldblquote Major! Wake up.\rdblquote\par
He opened his eyes, groaning.\par
\ldblquote Listen to me.\rdblquote She bent down, the gun pointed to his face. \ldblquote I have to hurry. There isn\rquote t much time left. The ship is ready, but you must tell me the information I need before I leave.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it.\par
\ldblquote Hurry up! Where is the Moon base? How do I find it? What do I look for?\rdblquote\par
Hendricks said nothing.\par
\ldblquote Answer me!\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Sorry.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Major, the ship is loaded with provisions. I can coast for weeks. I\rquote ll find the base eventually. And in a half hour you\rquote ll be dead. Your only chance of survival\'85\rdblquote She broke off.\par
Along the slope, by some crumbling ruins, something moved. Something in the ash. Tasso turned quickly, aiming. She fired. A puff of flame leaped. Something scuttled away, rolling across the ash. She fired again. The claw burst apart, wheels flying.\par
\ldblquote See?\rdblquote Tasso said. \ldblquote A scout. It won\rquote t be long.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote You\rquote ll bring them back here to get me?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Yes. As soon as possible.\rdblquote\par
Hendricks looked up at her. He studied her intently. \ldblquote You\rquote re telling the truth?\rdblquote A strange expression had come over his face, an avid hunger. \ldblquote You will come back for me? You\rquote ll get me to the Moon base?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I\rquote ll get you to the Moon base. But tell me where it is! There\rquote s only a little time left.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote All right.\rdblquote Hendricks picked up a piece of rock, pulling himself to a sitting position. \ldblquote Watch.\rdblquote Hendricks began to scratch in the ash. Tasso stood by him, watching the motion of the rock. Hendricks was sketching a crude lunar map.\par
\ldblquote This is the Appenine Range. Here is the Crater of Archimedes. The Moon base is beyond the end of the Appenine, about two hundred miles. I don\rquote t know exactly where. No one on Terra knows. But when you\rquote re over the Appenine, signal with one red flare and a green flare, followed by two red flares in quick succession. The base monitor will record your signal. The base is under the surface, of course. They\rquote ll guide you down with magnetic grapples.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote And the controls? Can I operate them?\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The controls are virtually automatic. All you have to do is give the right signal at the right time.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote I will.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote The seat absorbs most of the take-off shock. Air and temperature are automatically controlled. The ship will leave Terra and pass out into free space. It\rquote ll line itself up with the moon, falling into an orbit around it, about a hundred miles above the surface. The orbit will carry you over the base. When you\rquote re in the region of the Appenine, release the signal rockets.\rdblquote\par
Tasso slid into the ship and lowered herself into the pressure seat. The arm locks folded automatically around her. She fingered the controls. \ldblquote Too bad you\rquote re not going, Major. All this put here for you, and you can\rquote t make the trip.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Leave me the pistol.\rdblquote\par
Tasso pulled the pistol from her belt. She held it in her hand, weighing it thoughtfully. \ldblquote Don\rquote t go too far from this location. It\rquote ll be hard to find you, as it is.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote No. I\rquote ll stay here by the well.\rdblquote\par
Tasso gripped the take-off switch, running her fingers over the smooth metal. \ldblquote A beautiful ship, Major. Well built. I admire your workmanship. You people have always done good work. You build fine things. Your work, your creations, are your greatest achievement.\rdblquote\par
\ldblquote Give me the pistol,\rdblquote Hendricks said impatiently, holding out his hand. He struggled to his feet.\par
\ldblquote Good-bye, Major.\rdblquote Tasso tossed the pistol past Hendricks. The pistol clattered and rolled away. Hendricks hurried after it. He bent down, snatching it up. The hatch of the ship clanged shut. The bolts fell into place. Hendricks made his way back. The inner door was being sealed. He raised the pistol unsteadily. There was a shattering roar. The ship burst up from its metal cage, fusing the mesh behind it. Hendricks cringed, pulling back. The ship shot up into the rolling clouds of ash, disappearing into the sky.\par
\par
Hendricks stood watching a long time, until even the streamer had dissipated. Nothing stirred. The morning air was chill and silent. He began to walk aimlessly back the way they had come. Better to keep moving around. It would be a long time before help came - if it came at all. He searched his pockets until he found a package of cigarettes. He lit one grimly. They had all wanted cigarettes from him. But cigarettes were scarce.\par
A lizard slithered by him, through the ash. He halted, rigid. The lizard disappeared. Above, the sun rose higher in the sky. Some flies landed on a flat rock to one side of him. Hendricks kicked at them with his foot. It was getting hot. Sweat trickled down his face, into his collar. His mouth was dry.\par
Presently he stopped walking and sat down on some debris. He unfastened his medicine kit and swallowed a few narcotic capsules. He looked around him. \i Where was he?\i0 Something lay ahead. Stretched out on the ground. Silent and unmoving.\par
Hendricks drew his gun quickly. It looked like a man. Then he remembered. It was the remain of Klaus. The \i Second Variety\i0 . Where Tasso had blasted him. He could see wheels and relays and metal parts, strewn around on the ash. Glittering and sparkling in the sunlight. Hendricks got to his feet and walked over. He nudged the inert form with his foot, turning it over a little. He could see the metal hull, the aluminum ribs and struts. More wiring fell out. Like viscera. Heaps of wiring, switches and relays. Endless motors and rods.\par
He bent down. The brain cage had been smashed by the fall. The artificial brain was visible. He gazed at it. A maze of circuits. Miniature tubes. Wires as fine as hair. He touched the brain cage. It swung aside. The type plate was visible. Hendricks studied the plate. And blanched.\par
\b IV-V\b0 .\par
For a long time he stared at the plate. \i Fourth Variety\i0 . Not the \i Second\i0 . They had been wrong. There were more types. Not just three. Many more, perhaps. At least four. And Klaus wasn\rquote t the \i Second Variety\i0 .\par
Suddenly he tensed. Something was coming, walking through the ash beyond the hill. \i What was it?\i0 He strained to see. Figures. Figures coming slowly along, making their way through the ash.\par
Coming towards him.\par
Hendricks crouched quickly, raising his gun. Sweat dripped down into his eyes. He fought down rising panic, as the figures neared.\par
The first was a David. The David saw him and increased its pace. The others hurried behind it. A second David. A third. Three Davids, all alike, coming toward him silently, without expression, their thin legs rising and falling. Clutching their teddy bears.\par
He aimed and fired. The first two Davids dissolved into particles. The third came on. And the figure behind it. Climbing silently towards him across the gray ash. A Wounded Soldier, towering over the David. And\'85 And behind the Wounded Soldier came two Tassos, walking side by side. Heavy belt, Russian army pants, shirt, long hair. The familiar figure, as he had seen her only a little while before. Sitting in the pressure seat of the ship. Two slim, silent figures, both identical.\par
They were very near. The David bent down suddenly, dropping its teddy bear. The bear raced across the ground. Automatically, Hendricks\rquote fingers tightened around the trigger. The bear was gone, dissolved into mist. The two Tasso Types moved on, expressionless, walking side by side, through the gray ash.\par
When they were almost to him, Hendricks raised the pistol waist high and fired.\par
The two Tassos dissolved. But already a new group was starting up the rise, five or six Tassos, all identical, a line of them coming rapidly towards him.\par
And he had given her the ship and the signal code. Because of him she was on her way to the moon, to the Moon base. He had made it possible.\par
He had been right about the bomb, after all. It had been designed with knowledge of the other types, the David Type and the Wounded Soldier Type. And the Klaus Type. Not designed by human beings. It had been designed by one of the underground factories, apart from all human contact. The line of Tassos came up to him. Hendricks braced himself, watching them calmly. The familiar face, the belt, the heavy shirt, the bomb carefully in place.\par
\i The bomb!\par
\i0 As the Tassos reached for him, a last ironic thought drifted through Hendricks\rquote mind. He felt a little better, thinking about it. \i The bomb\i0 . Made by the \i Second Variety\i0 to destroy the other varieties. Made for that end alone. They were already beginning to design weapons to use against each other.\par
\par
}
Mini Shell