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Paul Hagbolt faced Major Buford Huo stood beside hi Miaow The ten saucer students were crowded around theolden flecks on the silvery old and purple flecks in the Pacific behind theh in the sky, had begun a coasting descent toward the placid ocean It still showed the face Rah now the western yellow spot was growing and the eastern one shrinking as the orb rotated It cast a strong twilight across the scrubby coastal landscape and turned the sky a slate gray through which only five or six stars showed

The jeep that had brought Major Hurowled behind hihts One of the two soldiers with him sat at the wheel, the other stood at his side The heavily-arate stood outside the fence in the dark doorway of the guard tower His eyes were on the un was in shadow except for a purple ring showing on the htful eyes and downturned ht now his douard - tensiondread

Paul, his soft, handsome face fir it would be you, Major This saves a lot of trouble"

"You&039;re lucky, because I didn&039;t come on your account," Major Humphreys retorted sharply, then added in a rush: "A few others of the LA sectionthe rest will arrive by the Valley - over Monica Mountainway or through Oxnard Or we&039;ll lift them out by &039;copter - especially Cal Tech Pasadena really got it in the second quake" He checked hi i over the flurry of exclaot all night - in fact, I haven&039;t got a nize Miss Gelhorn, of course - " He nodded curtly toward Margo - "But who are the others?" His gaze flickered across the saucer students, pausing doubtfully at Ross Hunter&039;s full brown beard

Paul hesitated

Doc, looking like a long-faced, lasses, cleared his throat and prepared to risk all by rubolt&039;s section" He suspected that this was one of those e white bluff is essential

But Doc had hesitated a fractional second too long The Little Man, pushing to the front between hin stare A confident smile nestled under his brush libness: "I a of the Southern California Meteor and UFO Students We were holding an eclipse syned perers estate and - although it was not strictly needed - approval from your own headquarters"

Doc groaned, fringe-audibly

Major Huht," the Little Man retorted sweetly "But please - not bugs - students" His left arnarok, in a flurry of uneasy effaceed at the leash

"Students," Major Hu the to deistration cards

Paul said earnestly: "Their cars were buried in a landslide along with ot here without their help There&039;s nowhere for theo now One of them has had a heart attack and one is a child"

Major Hu behind Hunter She stepped forward around him and showed all of herself - her shoulder-length, red-gold hair and her white-tie evening clothes - then s red-gold braids, caely beautiful and as insultingly perverse as an Aubrey Beardsley illustration for The Yellow Book

"I&039;m the child," Ann explained coolly

"I see," Major Hu rapidly as he turned away "Look, Paul," he said hurriedly "I&039; Two can&039;t possibly take in quake refugees That question&039;s already been explored and decided We have our own vital work, and an eulations"

"Hey," Wojtowicz broke in "You&039;re saying the quakes were really big in LA County?"

"You can see the fires, can&039;t you?" Major Humphreys snapped at hih the tower, Paul And Miss Gelhorn - by herself"

"But these people aren&039;t ordinary refugees, Major," Paul protested "They&039;ll be helpful They&039;ve alreadydeductions about the Wanderer"

As soon as he spoke that last word, the gold-and-purple orb, hts

Major Huh the mesh as he drew his face dose to Paul&039;s In a voice in which suspicion, curiosity, and fear were oddly et that name? What do you know about thebody?"

"Body?" Doc cut in exasperatedly "Any fool can see by now it&039;s a planet Currently thebehind it"

"We&039;re not responsible for it, if that&039;s what you&039;re thinking," Rahtly "We didn&039;t conjure it up there"

"Yes, and we don&039;t knohere the body was buried beforehand, either," Doc added zestfully "Though some of us have notions about a cemetery in hyperspace"

Hunter kicked him surreptitiously " &039;Wanderer&039; is siave it because it ly to the h the true name be Ispan" The Raular face, eye sockets and cheeks deep-shadowed, rose over Beardy&039;s shoulder He added: "Belike the iton"

Major Hu between theh And Miss Gelhorn - without that cat"

"Youthese people away?" Paul demanded "After I vouch for them? And one of the to say about your behavior, Major, I&039;o put in sharply

"Where is this heart case?" Major Huuard&039;s had

Paul looked around for the cot, but just then Wanda pushed her considerable bulk forward between Hunter and Raroaned again Wojtowicz looked at the fat wo the shoulder that had taken the strain on the cot corner

Major Humphreys snorted "Come on - the two of you, alone," he said to Paul, and turned back toward the jeep