*
They retreated, moving farther and farther away from the bunker. A fewsmall claws followed them for a little while and then gave up, turningback and going off.
At last Tasso stopped. "We can stop here and get our breaths."
Hendricks sat down on some heaps of debris. He wiped his neck,gasping. "We left Klaus back there."
Tasso said nothing. She opened her gun, sliding a fresh round of blastcartridges into place.
Hendricks stared at her, dazed. "You left him back there on purpose."
Tasso snapped the gun together. She studied the heaps of rubble aroundthem, her face expressionless. As if she were watching for something.
"What is it?" Hendricks demanded. "What are you looking for? Issomething coming?" He shook his head, trying to understand. What wasshe doing? What was she waiting for? He could see nothing. Ash lay allaround them, ash and ruins. Occasional stark tree trunks, withoutleaves or branches. "What--"
Tasso cut him off. "Be still." Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly her guncame up. Hendricks turned, following her gaze.
* * * * *
Back the way they had come a figure appeared. The figure walkedunsteadily toward them. Its clothes were torn. It limped as it madeits way along, going very slowly and carefully. Stopping now and then,resting and getting its strength. Once it almost fell. It stood for amoment, trying to steady itself. Then it came on.
Klaus.
Hendricks stood up. "Klaus!" He started toward him. "How the hell didyou--"
Tasso fired. Hendricks swung back. She fired again, the blast passinghim, a searing line of heat. The beam caught Klaus in the chest. Heexploded, gears and wheels flying. For a moment he continued to walk.Then he swayed back and forth. He crashed to the ground, his armsflung out. A few more wheels rolled away.
Silence.
Tasso turned to Hendricks. "Now you understand why he killed Rudi."
Hendricks sat down again slowly. He shook his head. He was numb. Hecould not think.
"Do you see?" Tasso said. "Do you understand?"
Hendricks said nothing. Everything was slipping away from him, fasterand faster. Darkness, rolling and plucking at him.
He closed his eyes.
* * * * *
Hendricks opened his eyes slowly. His body ached all over. He tried tosit up but needles of pain shot through his arm and shoulder. Hegasped.
"Don't try to get up," Tasso said. She bent down, putting her coldhand against his forehead.
It was night. A few stars glinted above, shining through the driftingclouds of ash. Hendricks lay back, his teeth locked. Tasso watched himimpassively. She had built a fire with some wood and weeds. The firelicked feebly, hissing at a metal cup suspended over it. Everythingwas silent. Unmoving darkness, beyond the fire.
"So he was the Second Variety," Hendricks murmured.
"I had always thought so."
"Why didn't you destroy him sooner?" he wanted to know.
"You held me back." Tasso crossed to the fire to look into the metalcup. "Coffee. It'll be ready to drink in awhile."
She came back and sat down beside him. Presently she opened her pistoland began to disassemble the firing mechanism, studying it intently.
"This is a beautiful gun," Tasso said, half-aloud. "The constructionis superb."
"What about them? The claws."
"The concussion from the bomb put most of them out of action. They'redelicate. Highly organized, I suppose."
"The Davids, too?"
"Yes."
"How did you happen to have a bomb like that?"
Tasso shrugged. "We designed it. You shouldn't underestimate ourtechnology, Major. Without such a bomb you and I would no longerexist."
"Very useful."
Tasso stretched out her legs, warming her feet in the heat of thefire. "It surprised me that you did not seem to understand, after hekilled Rudi. Why did you think he--"
"I told you. I thought he was afraid."
"Really? You know, Major, for a little while I suspected you. Becauseyou wouldn't let me kill him. I thought you might be protecting him."She laughed.
"Are we safe here?" Hendricks asked presently.
"For awhile. Until they get reinforcements from some other area."Tasso began to clean the interior of the gun with a bit of rag. Shefinished and pushed the mechanism back into place. She closed the gun,running her finger along the barrel.
"We were lucky," Hendricks murmured.
"Yes. Very lucky."
"Thanks for pulling me away."
* * * * *
Tasso did not answer. She glanced up at him, her eyes bright in thefire light. Hendricks examined his arm. He could not move his fingers.His whole side seemed numb. Down inside him was a dull steady ache.
"How do you feel?" Tasso asked.
"My arm is damaged."
"Anything else?"
"Internal injuries."
"You didn't get down when the bomb went off."
Hendricks said nothing. He watched Tasso pour the coffee from the cupinto a flat metal pan. She brought it over to him.
"Thanks." He struggled up enough to drink. It was hard to swallow. Hisinsides turned over and he pushed the pan away. "That's all I candrink now."
Tasso drank the rest. Time passed. The clouds of ash moved across thedark sky above them. Hendricks rested, his mind blank. After awhile hebecame aware that Tasso was standing over him, gazing down at him.
"What is it?" he murmured.
"Do you feel any better?"
"Some."
"You know, Major, if I hadn't dragged you away they would have gotyou. You would be dead. Like Rudi."
"I know."
"Do you want to know why I brought you out? I could have left you. Icould have left you there."
"Why did you bring me out?"
"Because we have to get away from here." Tasso stirred the fire with astick, peering calmly down into it. "No human being can live here.When their reinforcements come we won't have a chance. I've ponderedabout it while you were unconscious. We have perhaps three hoursbefore they come."
"And you expect me to get us away?"
"That's right. I expect you to get us out of here."
"Why me?"
"Because I don't know any way." Her eyes shone at him in thehalf-light, bright and steady. "If you can't get us out of herethey'll kill us within three hours. I see nothing else ahead. Well,Major? What are you going to do? I've been waiting all night. Whileyou were unconscious I sat here, waiting and listening. It's almostdawn. The night is almost over."
* * * * *
Hendricks considered. "It's curious," he said at last.
"Curious?"
"That you should think I can get us out of here. I wonder what youthink I can do."
"Can you get us to the Moon Base?"
"The Moon Base? How?"
"There must be some way."
Hendricks shook his head. "No. There's no way that I know of."
Tasso said nothing. For a moment her steady gaze wavered. She duckedher head, turning abruptly away. She scrambled to her feet. "Morecoffee?"
"No."
"Suit yourself." Tasso drank silently. He could not see her face. Helay back against the ground, deep in thought, trying to concentrate.It was hard to think. His head still hurt. And the numbing daze stillhung over him.
"There might be one way," he said suddenly.
"Oh?"
"How soon is dawn?"
"Two hours. The sun will be coming up shortly."
"There's supposed to be a ship near here. I've never seen it. But Iknow it exists."
"What kind of a ship?" Her voice was sharp.
"A rocket cruiser."
"Will it take us off? To the Moon Base?"
"It's supposed to. In case of emergency." He rubbed his forehead.
"What's wrong?"
"My head. It's hard to think. I can
hardly--hardly concentrate. Thebomb."
"Is the ship near here?" Tasso slid over beside him, settling down onher haunches. "How far is it? Where is it?"
"I'm trying to think."
Her fingers dug into his arm. "Nearby?" Her voice was like iron."Where would it be? Would they store it underground? Hiddenunderground?"
"Yes. In a storage locker."
"How do we find it? Is it marked? Is there a code marker to identifyit?"
Hendricks concentrated. "No. No markings. No code symbol."
"What, then?"
"A sign."
"What sort of sign?"
* * * * *
Hendricks did not answer. In the flickering light his eyes wereglazed, two sightless orbs. Tasso's fingers dug into his arm.
"What sort of sign? What is it?"
"I--I can't think. Let me rest."
"All right." She let go and stood up. Hendricks lay back against theground, his eyes closed. Tasso walked away from him, her hands in herpockets. She kicked a rock out of her way and stood staring up at thesky. The night blackness was already beginning to fade into gray.Morning was coming.
Tasso gripped her pistol and walked around the fire in a circle, backand forth. On the ground Major Hendricks lay, his eyes closed,unmoving. The grayness rose in the sky, higher and higher. Thelandscape became visible, fields of ash stretching out in alldirections. Ash and ruins of buildings, a wall here and there, heapsof concrete, the naked trunk of a tree.
The air was cold and sharp. Somewhere a long way off a bird made a fewbleak sounds.
Hendricks stirred. He opened his eyes. "Is it dawn? Already?"
"Yes."
Hendricks sat up a little. "You wanted to know something. You wereasking me."
"Do you remember now?"
"Yes."
"What is it?" She tensed. "What?" she repeated sharply.
"A well. A ruined well. It's in a storage locker under a well."
"A well." Tasso relaxed. "Then we'll find a well." She looked at herwatch. "We have about an hour, Major. Do you think we can find it inan hour?"
* * * * *
"Give me a hand up," Hendricks said.
Tasso put her pistol away and helped him to his feet. "This is goingto be difficult."
"Yes it is." Hendricks set his lips tightly. "I don't think we'regoing to go very far."
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 faras they could see. A few birds sailed silently, far above them,circling slowly.
"See anything?" Hendricks said. "Any claws?"
"No. Not yet."
They passed through some ruins, upright concrete and bricks. A cementfoundation. Rats scuttled away. Tasso jumped back warily.
"This used to be a town," Hendricks said. "A village. Provincialvillage. This was all grape country, once. Where we are now."
They came onto a ruined street, weeds and cracks criss-crossing it.Over to the right a stone chimney stuck up.
"Be careful," he warned her.
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 itsside. A broken chair. A few spoons and bits of china dishes. In thecenter of the street the ground had sunk away. The depression wasfilled with weeds and debris and bones.
"Over here," Hendricks murmured.
"This way?"
"To the right."
They passed the remains of a heavy duty tank. Hendricks' belt counterclicked ominously. The tank had been radiation blasted. A few feetfrom the tank a mummified body lay sprawled out, mouth open. Beyondthe road was a flat field. Stones and weeds, and bits of broken glass.
"There," Hendricks said.
* * * * *
A stone well jutted up, sagging and broken. A few boards lay acrossit. Most of the well had sunk into rubble. Hendricks walked unsteadilytoward it, Tasso beside him.
"Are you certain about this?" Tasso said. "This doesn't look likeanything."
"I'm sure." Hendricks sat down at the edge of the well, his teethlocked. His breath came quickly. He wiped perspiration from his face."This was arranged so the senior command officer could get away. Ifanything happened. If the bunker fell."
"That was you?"
"Yes."
"Where is the ship? Is it here?"
"We're standing on it." Hendricks ran his hands over the surface ofthe well stones. "The eye-lock responds to me, not to anybody else.It's my ship. Or it was supposed to be."
There was a sharp click. Presently they heard a low grating sound frombelow them.
"Step back," Hendricks said. He and Tasso moved away from the well.
A section of the ground slid back. A metal frame pushed slowly upthrough the ash, shoving bricks and weeds out of the way. The actionceased, as the ship nosed into view.
"There it is," Hendricks said.
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 cavityfrom which the ship had been raised. Hendricks made his way over toit. He mounted the mesh and unscrewed the hatch, pulling it back.Inside the ship the control banks and the pressure seat were visible.
* * * * *
Tasso came and stood beside him, gazing into the ship. "I'm notaccustomed to rocket piloting," she said, after awhile.
Hendricks glanced at her. "I'll do the piloting."
"Will you? There's only one seat, Major. I can see it's built to carryonly a single person."
Hendricks' breathing changed. He studied the interior of the shipintently. Tasso was right. There was only one seat. The ship was builtto carry only one person. "I see," he said slowly. "And the one personis you."
She nodded.
"Of course."
"Why?"
"_You_ can't go. You might not live through the trip. You're injured.You probably wouldn't get there."
"An interesting point. But you see, I know where the Moon Base is. Andyou don't. You might fly around for months and not find it. It's wellhidden. Without knowing what to look for--"
"I'll have to take my chances. Maybe I won't find it. Not by myself.But I think you'll give me all the information I need. Your lifedepends on it."
"How?"
"If I find the Moon Base in time, perhaps I can get them to send aship back to pick you up. _If_ I find the Base in time. If not, thenyou haven't a chance. I imagine there are supplies on the ship. Theywill last me long enough--"
Hendricks moved quickly. But his injured arm betrayed him. Tassoducked, sliding lithely aside. Her hand came up, lightning fast.Hendricks saw the gun butt coming. He tried to ward off the blow, butshe was too fast. The metal butt struck against the side of his head,just above his ear. Numbing pain rushed through him. Pain and rollingclouds of blackness. He sank down, sliding to the ground.
* * * * *
Dimly, he was aware that Tasso was standing over him, kicking him withher toe.
"Major! Wake up."
He opened his eyes, groaning.
"Listen to me." She bent down, the gun pointed at his face. "I have tohurry. There isn't much time left. The ship is ready to go, but youmust tell me the information I need before I leave."
Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it.
"Hurry up! Where is the Moon Base? How do I find it? What do I lookfor?"
Hendricks said nothing.
"Answer me!"
"Sorry."
"Major, the ship is loaded with provisions. I can coast for weeks.I'll find the Base eventually. And in a half hour you'll be dead. Youronly chance of survival--" She broke off.
Along the slope, by some crumbling ruins, something moved. Somethingin the ash. Tasso turned quickly, aiming. She fired. A puff of flameleaped. Something scuttled away, rolling across the ash. She firedagain. T
he claw burst apart, wheels flying.
"See?" Tasso said. "A scout. It won't be long."
"You'll bring them back here to get me?"
"Yes. As soon as possible."
Hendricks looked up at her. He studied her intently. "You're tellingthe truth?" A strange expression had come over his face, an avidhunger. "You will come back for me? You'll get me to the Moon Base?"
"I'll get you to the Moon Base. But tell me where it is! There's onlya little time left."
"All right." Hendricks picked up a piece of rock, pulling himself to asitting position. "Watch."
Hendricks began to scratch in the ash. Tasso stood by him, watchingthe motion of the rock. Hendricks was sketching a crude lunar map.
* * * * *
"This is the Appenine range. Here is the Crater of Archimedes. TheMoon Base is beyond the end of the Appenine, about two hundred miles.I don't know exactly where. No one on Terra knows. But when you'reover the Appenine, signal with one red flare and a green flare,followed by two red flares in quick succession.