Page 9 (1/2)

Paul and Margo started out after theback to the cars They couldn&039;t recall noho had first said: "We&039;d better be getting out of here," but once the words had been spoken, agreement and reaction had been swift and almost universal Doc had wanted to stick with his umbrella-and-table-corner astrolabe, and had tried to browbeat a nucleus of informed observers to stay with him, but he finally had been dissuaded

"Rudy&039;s a bachelor," Hunter explained to Margo as a few of the to stay up all nightto make burlesque babes - " he shouted the last back toward Doc - "but the rest of us have got fa had been proposed, Paul had been in a sweat to get to Moon Project headquarters He and Margo would swing around direct to Vandenberg Two, he decided; in fact, he had been about to suggest to her that they traht be quicker - when ha remembered that admission clearance would be delayed there

Then just as they had been setting out, a Ragnarok put on leash, had sprung froate the under parts of the dance floor Ann had stayed to witness the recovery of Miaow, and Raht: the calirl with her pale red braids and theclothes

When Doc ca briskly along to catch up with the others

Doc jerked a thu o

"No, Professor Hunter has been building it up," she told hiather your name is Rudolf Valentino"

"No, just Rudolf Brecht," Doc chortled, "but the Brechts are a sensuous clan, too, heigh-ho!"

"I see you forgot your u a hand on Doc&039;s elbow "Not that I&039;o back for it"

"No, Ross," Doc told Hunter, "I deliberately left it stuck there - that bumbershoot is already a kind of o on record that we&039;re all being fools Noe&039;ll be fighting traffic the whole night, whereas we could have employed it in fruitful observation at an ideal location - and I&039;d have treated you all to a big farm breakfast!"

"I&039;an so up at the Wanderer as he strode along and deenuine planet, what do you think the yellow and maroon areas are? I&039;ll pluae and kelp"

"Arid flats of sublimated iodine and sulphur," Hunter hazarded wildly

"With a border patrol of Maxwell&039;s deed ain-band ider now and the yellow area,toward the center, was almost like a fat crescent

Ann spoke up, "I think it&039;s oceans of golden water and lands of thick purple forest"

"No, young lady, you got to stick to the rules of the ga doard her as he still strode on "Which is that you can&039;t have anything up there that you don&039;t know about down here"

"Is that your for the unknown, Mr Brecht?" Rahter "Would it even work for Russia?"

"Well, IRussia," Doc replied "Hey, young lady," he continued, speaking to Ann, "what&039;s the best way of getting on the good side of your uesher red braids, and Ra to find only reflections of yourself," she said tartly Suddenly she jerked off her turban, releasing a cloud of red-gold hair which at lastherup with the others now, threading past the sea-grass Paul was intrigued by the nu with a permanent hunch away fro that way, too They overtook the Ra the radio, which was now playing tinnily the Grieg A minor Concerto, sandwiched between thick static

"I tried other stations," the woman told Hunter, "but the static was even worse"

Abruptly the music broke off As one, they stopped, and several of the people ahead of thealert Bulletin The Hollywood and Santa Monica Freeways - no, change that - the Hollywood, Santa Monica and Ventura Freeways are closed by congestion Motorists are requested to use none of the freeways until further notice Please stay home The appearance in the sky is not an atomic attack Repeat: not an ato over the phone with Professor Hue astronomer, and he tells us that the appearance in the sky is unquestionably - get that, folks, unquestionably - an orbiting cloud of ht He tentatively identifies the powders as gold and roseate bronze The total weight of the powders can be no more than a few pounds, Professor Kirk assures us, and they can&039;t hurt - "

"Oh, the stupid ass!" Doc broke in "Powders! Puffballs!"

Several people shushed hiain, there was only the sound of the piano rippling through A ured he had to be within a hundred yards of the Hut when the second big moonquake came, a vertical one this ti roar, as if Luna were tearing her guts out His teeth stung and thea cosmic piano note

Solid ainst their corrugated soles, then dropped away and sain The dust carpet fell and lifted with him Here and there bushels of it shot up a dozen feet or more, then fell back, abruptly coht to keep his footing as if he were standing on the back of a bucking horse, his hands ready to move to whichever side tohich he should overbalance The juht vertical scrawls - thick, hairpin brushstrokes - against the starfields So Plato&039;s plain

The jolts subsided Don upped the polarization of his helmetto four-fifthsto raise them by suit radio He couldn&039;t ht He figured the right direction froed, long-legged trapezoids of two of the Baba Yagas

A second horizontal ot his forearround-parallel tees Plato&039;s gray dust-lake rippled to the horizon Dust spray rose and fell The stuff really did behave more like water (on Earth) than like dust Rock knobs thrusting up through it made dust wakes Dust squirts peppered Don&039;s helmet

A vertical component added itself to the horizontal quake The roar dazed him Don&039;s suit shook like an ean to craard the ships like a dust-drenched silver beetle He wished he had a beetle&039;s two extra legs

The saucer students were sorting themselves out as they headed for their cars, which showed up colorfully at the base of the brown cliffs The general effect of the Wanderer&039;s light,complementary yellow and violet, was yellohite, except where mirror surfaces such as water reflected the entire orb, or in the edges of shadohere one color was cut off

Hunter said to Paul, a shade enviously, "I suppose you Moon Project people already have this thing a lot hly co Satellite &039;scopes, radar, all the rest"

"I&039;m not so sure of that, Ross," Paul replied "On the Project you develop a kind of tunnel vision"

The Little Man canarok on short leash and his clipboard in the other hand

"Remember me? - I&039;nature now, Miss Gelhorn?" he said winningly, holding out the clipboard to Margo "To: &039;Why didn&039;t we sign it?&039; But then it&039;ll be too late"

Margo, struggling to contain Miaow, snarled: "Oh, get away, you idiot!"