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"Yes, sir, I’iven h"

"No need to raise your voice, Sheriff" With one gloved hand, Copperfield tapped the squawk box on his chest "This thing’s not just a speaker It’s also equipped with an extre into a place where there ical or cheot to consider the possibility that wepeople Noe simply aren’t equipped to administer cures or even ay, not treatment It’s our job to find out all we can about the nature of the contaminant, so that properly equipped ht behind us and deal with the survivors But dying and desperate people ht attack the er and frustration"

"And fear," Tal Whit the irony, "Our psychological stress simulations indicate that it’s a very real possibility"

"And if sick and dying people did try to disrupt your work," Jenny said, "would you kill them?"

Copperfield turned to her The sun flashed off his faceplate, transfor it into a mirror, and for a htly, and his face eh of it for her to see what he really looked like It was a face out of context, framed in the transparent portion of his hele, I presuents of a foreign governainst an American community, it would be up to estresponsibility If we allowed anyone, even the suffering victi would increase dramatically"

"So," Jenny said, still pressing hi people did try to disrupt your work, you’d kill them"

"Yes," he said flatly, "Even decent people must occasionally choose between the lesser of two evils"

Jenny looked around at Snowfield, which was as looht have to do to protect his tea evil hat had been done-as still being done-to this town

She wasn’t quite sure why she had been so testy with hiht of hi in to save the day She had wanted all the probleuities cleared up instantly upon Copperfield’s arrival When she’d realized that it wasn’t going to work out that hen they had actually pulled guns on her, the dreaeneral

That wasn’t like her Her nerves an to introduce his eneral, but Copperfield interrupted "I don’t mean to be rude, Sheriff, but we don’t have tiht noant to s you told et an autopsy started"

He wants to skip introductions because it doesn’t make sense to be chuht If we develop disease symptoms in the next few hours, if it turns out to be a brain disease, and if we go berserk and try to rush the mobile labs, it’ll be easier for him to have us shot if he doesn’t know us very well

Stop it! she told herself angrily

She looked at Lisa and thought: Good heavens, kid, if I’m this frazzled, what a state you must be in Yet you’ve kept as stiff an upper lip as anyone What a damned fine kid to have for a sister

"Before we show you around," Bryce told Copperfield, "you ought to know about the thinglast night and what happened to-"

"No, no," Copperfield said ih it step by step Just the way you found things There’ll be plenty of ti"

"But, you see, it’s beginning to look as if it can’t possibly be a disease that’s wiped out this town," Bryce protested

The general said, "My people have coate possible CBW connections We’ll do that first Then we can consider other possibilities SOP, Sheriff"

Bryce sentonly Tal and Frank with him

Jenny took Lisa’s hand, and they, too, headed back to the inn

Copperfield called out to her "Doctor! Wait a moment I want you with us You were the first physician on the scene If the condition of the corpses has changed, you’re the one most likely to notice"

Jenny looked at Lisa "Want to coirl shuddered

Thinking of the eerily sweet, childlike voice that had coo in the kitchen And if you have to go to the bathroo with you"

"Jenny, they’re all guys!"

"I don’t care Ask Gordy He can stand outside the stall with his back turned"

"Jeez, that’d be eo into that bathrooirl’s face, "No way"

"Good Keep close to the others And I mean close Not just in the same room Stay in the saht about the two telephone calls froross threats he’d h they had been the threats of a dead htened

"You be careful, too," Lisa said

She kissed the girl on the cheek "Now hurry and catch up with Gordy before he turns the corner"

Lisa ran, calling ahead: "Gordy! Wait up!"

The tall young deputy stopped at the corner and looked back

Watching Lisa sprint along the cobblestone sidewalk, Jenny felt her heart tightening

She thought: What if, when I coain?

Chapter 23 – Cold Terror

Liebermann’s Bakery