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"I knew you’d say that"

"I talk tough, but I’m just a marshmallow inside"

"Like hell," he said, "Me way you stood up to hihness as anybody has But if he’d hurt you, and if you’d later abused your trust as a doctor just to get even with him… well, that would be different"

Jenny looked up from the38 that she’d just taken from the array of weapons on the table, and sheeyes

"Dr Paige, you have e call ’the right stuff’ If you want, you can call ht, Tal And you can call me Jenny"

"Well, I don’t know about that"

"Oh? Why not?"

"You’re a doctor and all My Aunt Becky-she’s the one who raised reat respect for doctors It just see a doctor by his… by her first na that we’re all in sort of a pressure cooker here-"

"Just the sa his head

"If it bothers you, then call me what most of my patients call me"

"What’s that?"

"Just plain Doc"

"Doc?" He thought about it, and a slow smile spread over his face "Doc It rizzled, cantankerous old coots that Barry Fitzgerald used to play in the movies, way back in the thirties and forties"

"Sorry I’rizzled"

"That’s okay You’re not an old coot, either"

She laughed softly

"I like the irony of it," Whit that revolver in Gene Teer’s belly, it fits"

They loaded two uns

"Tal, why all these weapons for a little substation in a town like Snowfield?"

"If you want to get state and federal et, you’ve got to s One of the specifications is for minimal arsenals in substations like this Noell… ot all this hardware"

"Except so far we haven’t seen anything to shoot at"

"I suspect ill," Tal said, "And I’ll tell you so"

"What’s that?"

His broad, dark, handsoly "I don’t think you’ll have to worry about having to shoot other people Somehow, I don’t believe it’s people we have to worry about"

Bryce dialed the private, unlisted nuovernor’s residence in Sacraovernor couldn’t come to the phone, not even to take a life and-death call froe Then he talked to the chief of the household staff, who also wanted hi put on hold, he talked to Gary Poe, Governor Jack Retlock’s chief political aide and advisor

"Bryce," Gary said, "Jack just can’t coht now There’s an important dinner underway here The Japanese trade eneral fro daet that new Japanese-American electronics plant for California, and we’re afraid it’s going to go to Texas or Arizona or maybe even New York Jesus, New York!"

"Gary"

"Why would they even consider New York, with all the labor problems and the tax rates what they are back there? Sometimes I think"

"Gary, shut up"

"Huh?"

Bryce never snapped at anyone Even Gary Poe-who could talk faster and louder than a carnival barker-was shocked into silence

"Gary, this is an e hurt, Poe said, "Bryce, I’ot a hell of a lot to do in the next hour or two, Gary If I live long enough to do it, that is I can’t spend fifteenout for you and then another fifteen laying it out again for Jack Listen, I’m in Snowfield It appears as if everyone who lived here is dead, Gary"

"What?"

"Five hundred people"

"Bryce, if this is some sort of joke or"

"Five hundred dead And that’s the least of it Noill you for Christ’s sake get Jack?"

"But Bryce, five hundred"

"Get Jack, damn it!"

Poe hesitated, then said, "Old buddy, this better be the straight shit" He dropped the phone and went for the governor

Bryce had known Jack Retlock for seventeen years When he joined the Los Angeles police, he had been assigned to lack for his rookie year At that time, Jack was a seven-year veteran of the force, a seasoned hand

Indeed, Jack had see even half as good at the job In a year, however, he was better They voted to stay together, partners But eighteen ularly turned loose the punks he worked so hard to imprison, Jack quit police work and went into politics As a cop, he’d collected a fistful of citations for bravery He parlayed his hero ie into a seat on the L A city council, then ran forin a landslide Froovernor’s chair It was a far ress to the sheriff’s post in Santa Mira, but Jack alas the ressive of the two

"Doody? Is that you?" Jack asked, picking up the phone in Sacramento Doody was his nickname for Bryce He’d always said that Bryce’s sandy hair, freckles, wholesome face, and marionette eyes made him look like Howdy Doody

"It’ssome lunatic nonsense"

"It’s true," Bryce said

He told Jack all about Snowfield

After listening to the entire story, Jack took a deep breath and said, "I wish you were a drinking , Jack Listen, the first thing I want is-"

"National Guard?"