"And to get the _Jefferson's_ motors started?"
"Another ten."
"Then," I snapped, "you'll need protection for a half hour. That's
what we're here for. Bruce, Rudy, Raoul, split your squads. Send half
below; have the others throw a cordon about the laboratory. If they're
dropping infantry, they'll have to stop bombing. By the time they find
us, the others will be below. Then we'll take to the cavern--"
"Very good, sir!" They sprang into action.
* * * * *
The women continued to file singly into the small dark-room, pass
through the doorway into the tunnel. Maureen clutched my arm.
"Brian, you don't have to stay up here. You're too important. You're
the leader. You've got to--"
"--to stay with my men!" I told her quietly. And I did what I had been
wanting to do, but had never before dared. I took her, unresisting,
into my arms; kissed her. Her lips were warm against mine. Then I
pushed her toward the doorway. "Get down there. Don't worry about us.
If we hold our fire it will take them a long time to locate us. Danny,
where did Krassner go?"
Danny grimaced.
"That yellow mutt? Don't ask me. He's probably down there by now,
hugging a stalactite."
"Well, to hell with him. Let's get going. And don't forget--don't fire
a shot unless they actually see us. We don't want to give our position
away."
Mallory said quietly, "I'll herd them below as fast as I can, Brian.
When you hear the signal, bring your men on the double. But before
you leave the laboratory, you know what must be done?" He nodded
significantly toward the inner room, toward the trebly-barred door
that contained a world's fate. I nodded.
"I know."
The steady evacuation continued. I went outside again. As Pelham-Jones
had reported, the Toties were parachuting infantry to the ground. More
planes had reached the scene; the sky swarmed with them. And a mass
occupation was in progress; from each transport rumbled a steady stream
of dark figures that, like strange, winged insects, plunged out of
their humming cocoons, hurtled headlong toward Earth for a moment--then
suddenly grew filmy, white umbrellas that lowered them gently to the
ground.
It was a random, haphazard occupation for the Toties _still_ had not
solved the secret of our exact location. But many--too many--were
dropping near our sheltered grove. It would not take them long, I knew,
to find us.
Happily, the aerial bombardment had ceased with the dropping of the
infantry. That was good. No chance explosion would find the heart of
our refuge, destroy the lab and cut us off from the underground cavern.
Approximately twenty of us remained above ground as defenders. I told
MacGregor, "Encircle the house. Defend it at all costs until you hear
Mallory's call--then hightail it for the tunnel. I've got something to
do inside."
I went back to the door beyond which were concealed the lethal
anaesthetic spores. There were two barrels of oil there; we had placed
them there for the purpose I now carried out. I broke them open,
spilled their contents every which way. Now a single match would set
the house ablaze, destroy forever the danger Mallory had feared. I
would strike that match just before ducking into the tunnel myself--
A single, explosive crack sounded outside! A rifle had spoken!
* * * * *
That ripped it! With that shot there came a moment of macabre silence;
then the air was alive with an answering volley from the hills and
woods surrounding us. I raced out of the house, found Rudy Van Huys. I
roared angrily, "Who fired! Why? Good God, man, don't you realize--"
His pink, chubby cheeks shook with anger to match my own. He said, "I
don't know, Brian. They hadn't spotted us until then. But now--"
He didn't need to point to the forest; I could see the grey-green
uniforms sifting through the trees, closing in on us. The _spang!_ of
a Wentzler shrilled in my ears, spent lead splattered against the wall
behind me. All about us, now, rifle fire rasped and spat; I saw an
advancing Totie soldier stop short in his tracks, stagger, spin, and
fall, clutching his stomach with red hands that clawed. I heard a grunt
from one of the men beside me, saw his mouth form an astonished O and
an ugly, purple-black third eye appear magically in the middle of his
forehead. The back of his head....
Then came a welcome sound, a cry from Mallory.
"All clear, O'Shea! Bring your men!"
They came on the double. Not all of them. Half of them, maybe. Those
few minutes of gunfire, raking our fearfully exposed position, had cost
us. MacGregor, huge bear of a man, staggered around an ell of the house
carrying a still figure. Danny Wilson. I cried, "Mac, is he--?"
"Bad, Brian! Mighty bad." MacGregor lumbered into the house with his
burden; the rest of the men followed him, lingering to throw last shots
into the advancing force before they disappeared.
There remained, still, my most important task. Now the Toties had
apparently brought up several pieces of light artillery, for mingled
with the snap of musketry I heard the familiar coughing bark of
ordnance. Once the house shuddered and quaked, concussion deafened my
ear drums as a shell found us. But I sped down the empty corridors
toward the lab. Time was precious. All too soon the Toties would close
in on the house; before that I must toss my flame, race back to the
tunnel entrance.