Part 22 (2/2)

Helen had been waiting, tensely, to ask the question that she must ask, yet knowing the answer before she asked it; for had there been any other answer Paul would have told her before now. She said, ”Paul, nothing about Mark, I suppose?”

”I'm sorry, Helen. Nothing. There were a few survivors from Omaha but Mark wasn't one of them. After all, it was a primary target with SAC Headquarters, Offutt Field-itself an important base-and the biggest rail complex between Chicago and the Coast all grouped together. I don't think we'll ever find out exactly what happened.”

Helen nodded. ”At least I know for sure. That's important-to know.” No tears, Randy thought. He glanced at the children. Ben Franklin stood firm, chin outthrust, taut facial muscles containing his emotions. But Peyton, eyes lowered, slipped away into the other room.

Then for a long time Hart and the lieutenant radiologist questioned Randy and Sam Hazzard about the way things had gone in Fort Repose, taking notes and showing remarkable interest in details of how the emergencies were met. ”Of course we need everything,” Randy said, ”but the town could get along fine if only we had electricity because if they had power then they'd have water. They wouldn't have to boil it or haul it from springs, as they do now.”

”It'll be a long time-a very long time,” Hart said. ”Even major cities that weren't touched-cities in the clear zones lost their electricity a month or so after H-Day and don't have it back yet. The only towns which have had uninterrupted power were those served by hydroelectric plants, provided the plants were undamaged and the aqueducts intact. There aren't many.”

”What about the other towns in the clear zones?” Randy asked. He noted how quickly you picked up the jargon of the post-Day age. It was like entering a totally new environment, like joining the Army.

”To have light,” Paul said, ”you either have to have water power or fuel. Most cities had supplies for a month or so. After that, darkness. Some of our big oil fields are still burning. The coal regions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia were saturated with fallout. But the transport problem is what really cripples us. Think what happened to the pipe lines, the railroads, the ports. Our big hope is atomic power. Thank goodness we still have a big stockpile of nuclear fuel.”

The radiologist and the two technical sergeants excused themselves. They were going to the river to bottle water samples. Randy said that if the river was hot they'd all be hot because ever since The Day they'd been living on the bounty of the river. Hart said that apparently the river was going to be all right, and this was hopeful. ”If we're going to get this C.Z. on the road back, I think I'd like to start in this area. Of course you understand, Randy, that before we can be of much help to the C.Z.'s we have to get the clear country in decent shape.” He shook his head. ”Some of our scientists think it will take a thousand years this decision alone. He looked at Lib without finding it necessary to speak. She knowing what was in his mind, simply smiled and winked. He said, ”I guess I'll stay, Paul.”

”And the others?”

Randy wished Dan was with them and yet he was confident he could speak for Dan. ”We have our doctor here, Dan Gunn. If it wasn't for Dan I don't think any of us could have made it. He saved this town and I'm sure he wouldn't want to leave now.” He turned to Helen. ”Would he?”

Helen said quietly, ”I wouldn't and he wouldn't.”

”But there's one thing you have to do, Paul. Bring supplies for our doctor.”

”What's he need?”

”Everything. Everything that a hospital needs. But most of all he needs a new pair of gla.s.ses.”

”I could requisition those for him, I think, if I had his prescription.”

Helen said, ”I know where it is. Don't you leave, Paul! Don't you dare!” She left the room and ran upstairs.

”What about you, Admiral Hazzard?” Paul asked. ”What about the children? What about the two women who live across the road-the librarian and the telegraph gal?”

Sam Hazzard laughed. ”Colonel, I have a fleet under my command. If the Navy Department will give me a fleet, I'll go with you. Not otherwise.”

”We don't have any fleets,” Paul Hart said. ”All we've got left, really, are nuclear submarines. The subs saved us, I guess. The subs and the solid fuel rockets and some of the airborne missiles.”

Lib said, ”Alice Cooksey and Florence Wechek are in town but they were talking about the possibility of going out only a few nights ago. They'll both want to stay. You see, they're terribly busy. They've never worked so hard or accomplished so much in their whole lives. And I don't know what Fort Repose would do without them. They're practically our whole education system, and they keep all the records.”

”Isn't anybody going?” Hart asked. Ben Franklin said, 'Not me!”

Peyton, who had quietly returned to the conference, said, ”Me either.”

Helen came downstairs with the prescription for Dan's gla.s.ses. They all walked out to the porch and Randy went out with Paul to the helicopter. They shook hands.

Randy said, ”Paul, there's one thing more. Who won the war?”

Paul put his fists on his hips and his eyes narrowed. ”You're kidding! You mean you really don't know?”

”No. I don't know. n.o.body knows. n.o.body's told us.” ”We won it. We really clobbered 'em!” Hart's eyes lowered and his arms drooped. He said, ”Not that it matters.”

The engine started and Randy turned away to face the thousand-year night.

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