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Doc took charge of the business of striking the rock-slope cah chartreuse to leh-handedif it hadn&039;t been for his sardonically-tinged high spirits In particular, he refused to discuss the question of their next objective or the probleanized for departure

He scaled down by one-third the breakfast ration Ida and McHeath presented for approval, prescribed penicillin for the flushed and fretful Ray Hanks on the latter&039;s recollection that he wasn&039;t allergic to it, and answered with a curt headshake Hixon&039;s suggestion that theyparties

The two sedans were searched In the glove compartment of the first there was turned up a loaded 32 revolver and on its back seat a black hat Doc appropriated both objects for hily callous, "It fits"

Wojtowicz, resting his left hand on his belt to ease his bandaged shoulder, protested: "Don&039;t wear that, Doc, it&039;d be bad luck," while the Ramrod said somberly: "I wouldn&039;t want my head contaminated by particles from a sadistic murderer&039;s aura"

"And I don&039;t want hed back at him "Murderer&039;s dandruff I can stand"

The first sedan coughed and purred at once when Doc turned the ignition key and touched the gas to test it, but the second&039;s battery seemed to be dead Doc refused to let Wojtowicz study around under the hood, but as soon as it had been drained of gas and oil, he let off the eency, cut its wheel sharp, and ordered the others to help him push it off the road down the rock slope

It went over the edge with a fine scrape and bound, and five seconds later its crash drifted up, shortly followed by three buzzards

Doc snapped his fingers and muttered: "Certainly didn&039;t mean to disturb their breakfast, if it&039;s what I think it was"

Mrs Hixon heard him andit back and forth dashingly, tires on the road&039;s edge "Sweet job," he commented as he stepped out "This is for athered Hunter, Rao, and Clarence Dodd and drew them off with him back of the truck

"Well, what is it?" he demanded of them "Do we keep on for the Valley or cut back to Mulholland and try for Cornell or Malibu Heights? Got to keep this outfitor it&039;ll lose heart"

"If we decide on the Valley, hoe get around the boulder?" the Little Man asked

"Table that one, Doddsy," Doc told his first"

Hunter said, "A few of us could take the sedan and scout the Valley"

Doc shook his head decisively "Nope, we can&039;t afford to split up this outfit It&039;s too san tentatively

"And I know sorin and a wink "They&039;re probably swi to say," Rarimace, "I vote for the Valley"

"Anyone know the Valley&039;s elevation?" the Little Man asked "It could be flooding from around the

"It&039;s got to be the Valley," Margo put in "Vandenberg Three&039;s at the foot of the Mountainway And I think you all know that I want to give the inertia gun to Morton Opperly"

Doc looked at their faces "The Valley it is, then," he pronounced "I do think, though," he reht be a better naan

Doc showed him a palm "Come on," he said to them all and headed past the truck and bus for the boulder

As they went by, Bill Hixon asked with a jokingness that was three-quarters antagonism: "Well, doctor, has your executive committee decided on our further tasks for today?"

"We&039;re keeping on for the Valley," Doc said sharply, "where ill resupply ourselves and contact responsible Moon Project scientists Any objections?"

Without waiting for any even slightly delayed answers, he took a stand on the slope just above the boulder and o to come up

"I saw the boulder rock," he explained, "when you slaainst it Give it three seconds of down-trigger from here and I bet she rolls Spread out of the way, everybody!"

Margo took the ave it to Hunter

"You do it," she told hiun to give her a feeling of security and excitement - that, in very fact, she herself was now the big gun she could rely on and experiry look in Hunter&039;s dark-circled eyes

He crouched and firun in both hands He&039;d been told it had absolutely no recoil, but his body refused to believe that All his htened From the corner of his eye he saw Doc wave He pressed the button

Whatever field or force the pistol generated, its effect was cureat rounded rock didn&039;t h for Hixon to say: "Look, it isn&039;t - "

Then the side nearest Hunter began to lift, slowly at first, then faster McHeath cried: "It&039;s er off the button The boulder came down on the rock slope with a tre at first toboulder should

The whole rock slope shook Some of the people clutched at those nearest thee, from which it took a wide shallow bite of stone

The Little Man said loudly, pulling out his notebook: "That is thedereat sullen thud drowned his voice The rock slope vibrated again as the boulder hit below

Hunter looked at the scale on the pistol and said, "Still a good third of the charge left"

Doc studied the spot where the boulder had rested There was a smooth two-foot dip in the asphaltoid, deepest on the downslope side where the black stuff was squeezed out in a lip that sly

"I&039; down the slope "A skid sideways - "

But Doc was already striding back toward the red Corvette

Two of the three buzzards - presu up fro away fro, two-rotorfro the excitement The birds veered off fro the &039;copter with his gun, but Doc said: "No, we&039;ll take care of ourselves Anyhow, they can see us, and if that boulder didn&039;t fetch &039;e would"

The &039;copter sped off seaward

Doc climbed in the red Corvette, yelled: "Clear the road!" and drove it across the dip with only a sed rapidly across the road, hardly fifty feet up, and disappeared over the ridge

Doc stopped the Corvette just beyond the sedan "Clear everyone out of the bus and bring her across!" he shouted back Then to Hunter, Margo, and Rama Joan, who&039;d come after him: "I&039;ll lead off in the Corvette Then the order&039;ll be: sedan, bus, truck You come with me, Joan, but Ann had better ride in the bus You drive the sedan, Ross Better get her turned around now Margo, you keep the momentum pistol and ride with hiet into trouble, but wait for orders frouard rifle in the back of the truck, but your hand&039;s still bad"

"Harry McHeath kno to use the gun," the Little Man said, "and he&039;s responsible"

Doc nodded "Go tell him he&039;s promoted," he said "Hixon can keep the other rifle"

The driver, Pop, ca the bus across the dip "Back tires are old," he explained "Worn slick She&039;ll be apt to take a sideways slip when she drops into that hole"

Doc was already striding back He clireat deal ht the truck over Ray Hanks was carried across then in his cot and, at his feverish insistence, loaded once more into the back of the truck, rather than the bus He was joined there by Ida and young McHeath, stern-faced with his rifle

As the bus loaded up, Doc said to Clarence Dodd: "You command her - and ride herd on Pop"

Walking ahead to the Corvette, he found Ann sitting in the middle of the front seat beside her rinned and shrugged and cli her hair She shrank away from him toward her mother, just a little

Doc started the motor, then stood up and faced back

"Listen to this!" he shouted toward sedan, bus, and truck "Follow at twenty-yard intervals! - I&039;ll be taking it easy Three horn blasts from me means slow! Four means stop! Five - from one of you - means you&039;re in trouble Got that?