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He reached down to the passengers and said, "Let’s go Let’s send solish fella You first"

"Why me first?"

"Because you ain’t hurt, and you can help catch the rest And Ernie’s got his hand all tore up"

"Fine," Gordon Rand relented, and began the tricky work of clian clothes let on Soon he was out through the portal and standing atop the Zephyr, then sliding down its side, down to the ground

Mercy heard hih by saying to someone, "That wasn’t so bad"

That someone asked, "How many are there inside?"

"The captain, the copilot, and half a dozen passengers and crew Not too et thele and tap says the line’s shifting Everybody’s got to a"

"You can’t be serious!"

"I’h That’s what the corporal told me, anyway"

"When?"

"Just now"

"Son of a bitch They’re right on top of us!"

Mercy wished she could see the speakers, but she could see only the frightened faces of her fellow passengers No one was ossip outside So she took it upon herself to

"Ma’aet you up out of here next"

The woue, but she didn’t She nodded and said, "You’re right We’ll be et there Co?"

"Out, love" She looked around "I can make it up on my own, but he’ll need some assistance Captain? Or MrMr First Mate?"

"Copilot," he corrected her as he cliether they wrested and wrangled the somewhat reluctant old man and his insistent wife up the concave ladder and out the hatch Then went the clubfooted student; and then Ernie, with a little help fro fast enough Finally, the other student and the rest of the crewthe Zephyr an eround

Five

A one to soray-​unifor a pair of sta the nearest horse’s lead said to the group, "Everyone on board Line’s shifting Everybody’s got to go while the going’s good"

"Where are we going?" demanded Gordon Rand even as he hastened to follow instructions

He was helping the elderly woe when the second newcoa"

"How far away is that?" he inquired further