the pile of bricks. The entrance is tothe right of the bricks."
"I'll have to take your word for it."
"You and Tasso cover me from here. You'll be able to sight all the wayto the bunker entrance."
"You're going down alone?"
"With my wrist tab I'll be safe. The ground around the bunker is aliving field of claws. They collect down in the ash. Like crabs.Without tabs you wouldn't have a chance."
"Maybe you're right."
"I'll walk slowly all the way. As soon as I know for certain--"
"If they're down inside the bunker you won't be able to get back uphere. They go fast. You don't realize."
"What do you suggest?"
Klaus considered. "I don't know. Get them to come up to the surface.So you can see."
Hendricks brought his transmitter from his belt, raising the antenna."Let's get started."
* * * * *
Klaus signalled to Tasso. She crawled expertly up the side of the riseto where they were sitting.
"He's going down alone," Klaus said. "We'll cover him from here. Assoon as you see him start back, fire past him at once. They comequick."
"You're not very optimistic," Tasso said.
"No, I'm not."
Hendricks opened the breech of his gun, checking it carefully. "Maybethings are all right."
"You didn't see them. Hundreds of them. All the same. Pouring out likeants."
"I should be able to find out without going down all the way."Hendricks locked his gun, gripping it in one hand, the transmitter inthe other. "Well, wish me luck."
Klaus put out his hand. "Don't go down until you're sure. Talk to themfrom up here. Make them show themselves."
* * * * *
Hendricks stood up. He stepped down the side of the rise.
A moment later he was walking slowly toward the pile of bricks anddebris beside the dead tree stump. Toward the entrance of the forwardcommand bunker.
Nothing stirred. He raised the transmitter, clicking it on. "Scott?Can you hear me?"
Silence.
"Scott! This is Hendricks. Can you hear me? I'm standing outside thebunker. You should be able to see me in the view sight."
He listened, the transmitter gripped tightly. No sound. Only static.He walked forward. A claw burrowed out of the ash and raced towardhim. It halted a few feet away and then slunk off. A second clawappeared, one of the big ones with feelers. It moved toward him,studied him intently, and then fell in behind him, doggingrespectfully after him, a few paces away. A moment later a second bigclaw joined it. Silently, the claws trailed him, as he walked slowlytoward the bunker.
Hendricks stopped, and behind him, the claws came to a halt. He wasclose, now. Almost to the bunker steps.
"Scott! Can you hear me? I'm standing right above you. Outside. On thesurface. Are you picking me up?"
* * * * *
He waited, holding his gun against his side, the transmitter tightlyto his ear. Time passed. He strained to hear, but there was onlysilence. Silence, and faint static.
Then, distantly, metallically--
"This is Scott."
The voice was neutral. Cold. He could not identify it. But theearphone was minute.
"Scott! Listen. I'm standing right above you. I'm on the surface,looking down into the bunker entrance."
"Yes."
"Can you see me?"
"Yes."
"Through the view sight? You have the sight trained on me?"
"Yes."
Hendricks pondered. A circle of claws waited quietly around him,gray-metal bodies on all sides of him. "Is everything all right in thebunker? Nothing unusual has happened?"
"Everything is all right."
"Will you come up to the surface? I want to see you for a moment."Hendricks took a deep breath. "Come up here with me. I want to talk toyou."
"Come down."
"I'm giving you an order."
Silence.
"Are you coming?" Hendricks listened. There was no response. "I orderyou to come to the surface."
"Come down."
Hendricks set his jaw. "Let me talk to Leone."
There was a long pause. He listened to the static. Then a voice came,hard, thin, metallic. The same as the other. "This is Leone."
"Hendricks. I'm on the surface. At the bunker entrance. I want one ofyou to come up here."
"Come down."
"Why come down? I'm giving you an order!"
Silence. Hendricks lowered the transmitter. He looked carefully aroundhim. The entrance was just ahead. Almost at his feet. He lowered theantenna and fastened the transmitter to his belt. Carefully, hegripped his gun with both hands. He moved forward, a step at a time.If they could see him they knew he was starting toward the entrance.He closed his eyes a moment.
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 wholepack of them. All exactly the same.
Hendricks turned and raced back, away from the bunker, back toward therise.
At the top of the rise Tasso and Klaus were firing down. The smallclaws were already streaking up toward them, shining metal spheresgoing fast, racing frantically through the ash. But he had no time tothink about that. He knelt down, aiming at the bunker entrance, gunagainst his cheek. The Davids were coming out in groups, clutchingtheir teddy bears, their thin knobby legs pumping as they ran up thesteps to the surface. Hendricks fired into the main body of them. Theyburst apart, wheels and springs flying in all directions. He firedagain through the mist of particles.
A giant lumbering figure rose up in the bunker entrance, tall andswaying. Hendricks paused, amazed. A man, a soldier. With one leg,supporting himself with a crutch.
"Major!" Tasso's voice came. More firing. The huge figure movedforward, Davids swarming around it. Hendricks broke out of his freeze.The First Variety. The Wounded Soldier.
He aimed and fired. The soldier burst into bits, parts and relaysflying. Now many Davids were out on the flat ground, away from thebunker. He fired again and again, moving slowly back, half-crouchingand aiming.
From the rise, Klaus fired down. The side of the rise was alive withclaws making their way up. Hendricks retreated toward the rise,running and crouching. Tasso had left Klaus and was circling slowly tothe right, moving away from the rise.
A David slipped up toward him, its small white face expressionless,brown hair hanging down in its eyes. It bent over suddenly, openingits arms. Its teddy bear hurtled down and leaped across the ground,bounding toward him. Hendricks fired. The bear and the David bothdissolved. He grinned, blinking. It was like a dream.
"Up here!" Tasso's voice. Hendricks made his way toward her. She wasover by some columns of concrete, walls of a ruined building. She wasfiring past him, with the hand pistol Klaus had given her.
"Thanks." He joined her, grasping for breath. She pulled him back,behind the concrete, fumbling at her belt.
"Close your eyes!" She unfastened a globe from her waist. Rapidly, sheunscrewed the cap, locking it into place. "Close your eyes and getdown."
* * * * *
She threw the bomb. It sailed in an arc, an expert, rolling andbouncing to the entrance of the bunker. Two Wounded Soldiers stooduncertainly by the brick pile. More Davids poured from behind them,out onto the plain. One of the Wounded Soldiers moved toward the bomb,stooping awkwardly down to pick it up.
The bomb went off. The concussion whirled Hendricks around, throwinghim on his face. A hot wind rolled over him. Dimly he saw Tassostanding behind the columns, firing slowly and methodically at theDavids coming out of the raging clouds of white fire.
Back along the rise Klaus struggled with a ring of claws circlingaround him. He retreated, blasting at them and moving back, trying tobreak through the ring.
Hendricks struggl
ed to his feet. His head ached. He could hardly see.Everything was licking at him, raging and whirling. His right armwould not move.
Tasso pulled back toward him. "Come on. Let's go."
"Klaus--He's still up there."
"Come on!" Tasso dragged Hendricks back, away from the columns.Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it. Tasso led him rapidlyaway, her eyes intense and bright, watching for claws that had escapedthe blast.
One David came out of the rolling clouds of flame. Tasso blasted it.No more appeared.
"But Klaus. What about him?" Hendricks stopped, standing unsteadily."He--"
"Come on!"
* * * *