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The uns and supplies of ahout the house, fortifying and barring most ith spaced two-by-fours that were screwed to the interior casings, allocating couishers that they routinely carried in their pickups and SUVs, and taking every precaution they could think of to make the house as much of a fortress as possible
Meanwhile, the woer children, turning ht from other less defendable houses, into pasta salads, potato salads, and casseroles These could be stored in both the kitchen and garage refrigerators, ready to feed on deenerators, fueled with gasoline, were being tied into the house’s electrical systeeration and microwave-oven availability if Rainbow Falls lost its power supply Because the heating-oil tank had been filled only two days earlier, they could keep the furnace going for at least a month
No one expected this war of the worlds to last anywhere near a month Either the Lord would support huodless invaders froeddon If this was in fact the final conflict, it would surely be swift because ulti head-on, at last, and the latter could not endure le pitched battle with the forue delivered them to the spacious and busy kitchen to uards patrolling the perih Dolly was industriously rolling out one disc of dough after another,pumpkin pies--"End Times or not End Tiives us fortitude"--she insisted on getting ar cookies for thes lay a 38 Colt revolver The other wo with one another about the recent events at the roadhouse but also sharing such s as fine details of recipes and their children’s latest escapades They also had serious weapons near at hand: a SIG P245, a Smith & Wesson Model 1076, a Smith & Wesson 640 38 Special pocket revolver, a Super Carry Pro 45 ACP from Kimber Custom Shop…
They exhibited deterence but no obvious fear There were preparations to be made, work to be done, and busy hands meant busy minds that had no tiar cookies were divine
"There were two kinds of these hateful creatures," Dolly explained as she returned to her pie dough "The first looked like people we knew, and you would think they would be the worst because they’re deceivers a us, children of the Father of Lies But when they revealed their true nature by their actions, we could deal with them They tried to shoot some of us, but ere faster on the draw, and they could be killed It takes so One well-placed bullet, even point-blank, won’t do it"
As she picked up a disc of dough and confor on the wall above the dinette table: Jesus in white robes and cowboy boots, riding a horse that was rearing dras Instead of a cowboy hat, the Son of God wore a halo
"The Lord was surely with us at Pickin’ and Grinnin’, or we’d all be dead now We can’t clai skills alone that saved us"
"But God helps those who help theun can provide a lot of self-help"
Carson noticed with so a pistol
Dolly said, "The second kind of monster looks like people, too, but not ordinary people They’re as beautiful as angels They look as good as Donny and Marie Os and you just couldn’t take your eyes off them"
Loreen Rudolph, to who potato salad on the kitchen island She said, "Not that Donny and Marie have lost their looks"
Another wo pasta on the stove, said, "Even when Marie got fat there for a while, she looked on her worst day five tio putting yourself down," Loreen said "There’s a world full of woood as you"
"All their teeth and a leg," Dolly agreed
Michael said, "All their teeth, a leg, and an ear"
Cindy Sue blushed and said, "Oh, Mr Maddison, you’re just a terrible flatter at Michael, Dolly said, "I hope it was flattermouth and not mockery"
"It was kind of mockery," Carson said "But that’s how Michael lets people know he likes them"
"Even you, dear?"
"Especially h I’d think it’s still a burden"
"He’s ot my cross, too," Michael said
"Sweetheart," Carson said, "your cross is you"
"Zinger!" said Loreen, and the churchwohed
"Anyway," Dolly said, "Marie Osorgeous So these three angels coe at the roadhouse, and we expect they’re a e shape, and these silvery swarms come out of them and eat people"
Dolly’s description didn’t help Carson visualize the ene her confusion, Farley Sa while he peeled carrots, stepped forward and said, "What it was--these aliens have advanced nanotechnology The three that looked like angels, they ht have been machines but they just as easy could have been aniineered to kill, okay? Then what they probably are … see, they’re each like a colony of billions of tiny nanoaniraether and operate as one creature, each doing its own part, but they can also become a swarm of individuals Each tiny nanoanience, a little bit of ether, they pool their intelligence, and so when they’re united, they’re s at Farley, his mother said, "He’s always done well in science I expect he’ll be the next Bill Gates"
"Bill Gates isn’t a scientist, Moood"
"He didn’t even graduate froe," Farley said
"When would he have had the time?"
"Who I want to be," Farley said, "is the next Robert Heinlein He wrote the best science fiction ever"
Recognizing Farley Saht convince these people that the threat wasn’t extraterrestrial, Carson said, "Son, nanotechnology isn’t just science fiction, is it?"
"No,advances every day But our nanotechnology isn’t so far along as what these ETs can do"
"Maybe it is," Carson said "Maybe there’s a secret underground lab out there so what you folks around here call the End Tihway Maybe I knoho runs the place, andto shut it down What would you say about that?"
Farley said, "Holy--"
"Bite your tongue, boy," histo a couple of the wo room, Dolly said, "Shanona, Vera--the best way for Carson and Michael to understand e’re up against is to show them your video"