Page 39 (1/2)

"Listen," I say to him "‘RECORD HEAT SEVEN DAYS IN A ROW OVER NINETY IN IOWA AND A DROUGHT HAS SPREAD ACROSS EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE USA IT’S RUINING THE RANCHERS AND FARMERS’"

I turn to the comics and check out the latest Li’l Abner cartoon, then notice the caption on the next page under the photo of a short man in uniform who looks a lot like Charlie Chaplin

"ADOLF HITLER, LEADER OF THE NATIONAL SOCIALIST WORKERS’ PARTY, TAKES OVER GERMANY" I read the headline, but skip the article "I don’t knoe should care Germany’s so far away"

Outside theit’s another cloudless, sunny day "Looks like a good afternoon to pick the last of the beans," I tell et back to work" I find our straw hats and buckets and lead hiarden

An hour later, a breeze ruffleson to Dr Blum’s ar et inside" I pick up our buckets, pull on Dr Blum’s arm, and head for the house S everywhere, and then the rain co

"Is this a tornado?" I say out loud as we pull the blue door closed behind us We have no telephone to call for help, not that anyone would come No radio to listen to a weather report No shutters to cover the s No basehouse out by the barn

"Blu into space, as if he doesn’t hear the roar or feel the house shake "We need to get to the springhouse," I shout into his face, shaking his shoulders

"Blum, help me Please! I can’t do this alone" The doctor rises slowly like a man in a dream, and I lead him to the back door, where we stop under the porch eaves Water streams down the hillside, already four inches deep in the low places Then the thunder co

CRACK! A tree soo!" I shout "I’ll hold on to you" I push Bluain I push hi wholly unexpected He throws me over his shoulder and, like a fireman, heads for the only safe shelter we have

We’re halfway to the springhouse built into the side of the hill when the hail starts, chunks of ice the size oflike this Bluround I’ over his shoulder and I try to cover our heads

At the entrance to the underground shelter, the doctor deposits , perhaps, a s "Surprised you, didn’t I?" But there’s just the sa me up was a reflex that didn’t involve his ht after it; we are in a war zone of light and sound and when I pull open the door, it blows off its hinges and sails away Panting, we both fall inside, safe for the o crazy in front of us

Spared

Within an hour, the teet up my nerve to look outside to see if our barn and house are still standing They are, but pellets of ice still litter the ground