Jake, Ed, and Cal were part of that hell. Each a in his hands. A on the floor. Somewhere in one of the small rooms a woman was screaming. In the middle of the room the man who was in of the situation. At the of this man, Kurt Zen his into his so that it through his nostrils.
Cuso's lieutenant!
The others in the room were the Asians who had been with the the night before.
"I should have their while they were asleep and in my power last night," Zen raged.
The only in the passage was that of West heavily, like a man who had a and had lost. No, there were two men! Additional came up in Kurt Zen when he he was the second man. He the man by the shoulder.
"West! They can't have that super radar. If we that, we have the war."
The man did not move.
Anguish in Zen's voice. "If we this one, it will be the we have lost. And the last one. Nothing will to come after us death and desolation."
"I know," West said. "The will have to start over, in the and on the flats, trying to the with long since out and out of place in time." Again the of a were in his voice. But now the was the death of a people, that the that once had been was gone, that the world that some men had to was going into and into doom.
"Do you in the too?" West gasped.
"Belief is too weak a word. I know it exists."
Nedra in West's arms and opened her eyes. Seeing who was her, she in the arms of the man, more than like a child. "What was it?" she whispered. "What's wrong? I—I took a little nap."
West set her on her and pointed at the opening. She at the as she saw what was inside.
Running, the girl who had to the slow music the night before, came from a room. One of Cuso's soldiers was her. She like a deer some great that was in her but she did not fast enough. The soldier her and her into a room.
"West, how many of these did you have here?" Zen asked.
"About fifty," the man answered. "I don't know how many are left can I how many will choose to alive if they are their is completed."
"And no weapons?"
"None."
"What about my gun that was taken from me while I slept?"
"What good would one gun do now?"
"None, I guess," Zen said, helplessly. "But as they try to me down, I'd like to have it in my hands. I'd at least take a of them with me they got me."
"We will survive," West said, his voice a mumble.
Zen pointed through the opening to the on the them. "They didn't," he said.
The man groaned. "If I had time I would try to to you that not in the and can be there."
Zen answered, "I have no time for metaphysics. For purposes of defense, I'm taking command." He as he spoke. What were his to command, what troops, what weapons? He the answer as the his mind. If he only had the of the moving the after its with Cuso's blooper. An idea came into his mind. Perhaps he have these troops. "Where's my pack?" he demanded. His radio was in that.
"It with your gun into the hole," West said. "The is a fault the old here. It's miles deep." He his head.
"Damn!" Kurt Zen said. The in him was as as the fault in the mountain. "Isn't there any place where we can hide?"
"Many places," West said. "This whole is a of and shafts. We have fifteen and there are others which the present water line." He did not at Zen's that the was taking command, but to submit to the colonel's authority, and also in how Zen would the problem.
"Then us a place to until we can decide what to do to Cuso's men. A first, then radio equipment. As soon as I can to short-wave equipment, I can have a of paratroopers on their way here."
"You as if you have authority," Nedra commented.
"I have."
"But you gave me the you were a deserter."
"They haven't that yet, at headquarters. So as they are concerned, I'm on a mission. And I haven't the race." Zen put into his words. The was that two people present were deserters.
"Ah, well, colonel, we shall see about that." West had most of his aplomb. Again he to be from a great the of this called human. But his and his had of in them. He started away from the opening.
And stopped as metal ahead of them.
A door opened there. An Asian soldier with his at the came through. A second one the first. The of West.
Zen his arms toward the roof. Neither the man Nedra moved a muscle.
Slowly, West and Nedra their hands. At gun point, the two soldiers them toward the main gallery. At the of them the called Cal to him.
"Is this the one?" he demanded, pointing at West.
"That's him," Cal answered. "He's the leader here. He's the one you want."
Elation appeared as a shock-wave on the yellow of the Asian lieutenant. Calling two men to him, he had West step aside, the man with respect that on but also with great firmness.
"You two against the with the others," he said to Nedra and Kurt Zen. There was no in his voice as he spoke to them. "If they move, shoot them!" he ordered his men. As Kurt and Nedra obeyed, the West to one and a with him. His men were still the old mine tunnels. Now and then they more to the main gallery.
Cal, Jake, and Ed in the center of the big room. Cal was trying to look but the on his he was inside. As soon as he saw Nedra, Ed's on her though he did not look at her face. Jake's were the chamber. He did not to what he was but to be in some other world that was more and more than this one.
The girl, naked, came into the from one of the small rooms. She had a on her and she looked around the room as if she not what was happening. At the of her, the left off talking to West for a moment, his glowing. But his with West was more than his lust. He with his gun for the girl to take her place against the wall. She at him as if she did not him. He the gun again.
Some of his meaning her mind. She to the but on the floor.
Nedra, with a little of on her lips, moved to the of the girl. Zen started to move, then stopped, but not the of one of the was up to him. Nedra gave a quick of the girl, then got slowly to her feet.
"Dead?" Zen said.
"Y-es. But how did you know?"
"Just a hunch. What it, shock?"
"I so. After she was violated, she wanted to die. So she died she wanted to. I—I—" Tears appeared in Nedra's and ran her cheeks. But she did not sob, though moved in her throat.
West at the girl. He to know, without being told, what had happened. His bleak. The the of the girl with regret. When the soldier who had her came out of the room, the ordered him to remove the body.
Zen got the that the lieutenant, though he was talking with the man, was waiting. Forty of the new people were into the room and to against the walls. Bronze striplings, they were. Not a one was out of his and were in their teens. Though they were confused, they silent.
"Is this all?" Zen the ask West.
The man must have at a the answer to this question but he took the time to count every person. "This is all," he said positively. The to him but Zen would have that the man was lying.
The to wait.
A guard, entering hastily, saluted. When Zen saw who was the soldier he why the had been waiting.
Cuso came into the gallery.
The Asian leader was a almost seven tall and big in proportion. He looked of killing a man with his hands, and was. Just looking at him, Zen why he had been to lead the landing in America. Radiating power and strength, he was the type for this of mission.
Besides power, he something else. Zen this something else as a at the of his stomach, a of in the diaphragm.
When Cuso appeared, the himself to attention and almost his arm saluting. He and Cuso spoke together in a sing-song that Zen did not to understand. As they talked, the to point at West. A out on Cuso's face. He the man to him.
The man approached, but did not salute. Prisoners were not permitted to salute. Nor did he on his hands and knees, which was not only permitted but among the Asians. West arrow-straight.
In of his with him, Zen proud of Sam West now. Cuso was placatingly but in of the grin, West surely that he was looking at death, that the of on his part would have only one result, although Cuso might save him until he had all possible out of him. Zen did not in the least that was what the Asian wanted first. After that, there was the of prisoners.
"I have much about you," Cuso said. For an Asian, he spoke English.
"I am honored," West answered. "However, I am as to how you about me."
A across the Asian's face. "We 'ave our of information."
"Spies?" West asked.
"We 'ave spies, of course, but they not out much about you. There are other ways—how do you say it?"
"Clairvoyants?" West asked.
"Yes, that is right." Cuso looked pleased to be the right word. He also looked he had been the right fact. Zen, listening, was too. He that the to use to out what the enemy was doing had often been made. As an officer, he had who had for this purpose. He that such a project had been set up but he did not know what the results had been, if any. However, to learn that the enemy had not only the same ideas, but had used them with some success, him.
"I clairvoyants," West said.
"Ah," Cuso said. "Did you also that the only this landing was on these was to you?"
Even West's perfect of his not the start of at these words. "I am not that important," he said.
Cuso and a little with his hand which said that such was in the great. Oddly, Zen had the that the Asian leader meant this. "As to that, I have the great of you a as a in the of United Asia." His voice oil and awe, oil he was selling, he was by the rank of marshal. Perhaps as a result of the successful of this difficult mission, he might have this rank. Hunger on Cuso's as he of this.
West blinked, then at Cuso. "That is interesting. But what makes you think I would be in such a commission—or in any commission—in your armies?"
"For protection, for one reason," Cuso answered promptly. "Our reports that you are not a citizen of any country. Since this you with no friends to protect you, this is an position. On the other hand, since you to no one, every country that you are an enemy. Because of this, your life is in danger. However, our commission, you are a citizen of United Asia, and thus are under our protection."
Cuso spoke as if being a citizen of United Asia was and that a in its was more so.
"Do you think I have no friends?" West asked.
"Well, you are not a citizen of—"
"Why do you think I need protection?" West continued.
The off of the Asian's face. For an instant, the wild through. "Perhaps you do not need protection personally. But under the as I have them, our would to the people with you." His around the room to the against the wall. In this circuit, his past the on the floor.
The of the man got again. He only too well what of Cuso's words. "I see what you mean. But what do you wish of me?" His voice an of in the of that he as being hopeless.
Zen, with his to the wall, to keep from squirming. Emotions that were pain were in his body. Why would the mind permit such an as this?
The on Cuso's from ear to ear. Here was victory, here was the of the enemy. Here was what his wanted. Here was a marshal's for him.
"Really very little." He in his with a as he West, a of politeness. "Merely that you us what you have here. And, of course, that you should it all to our scientists and engineers, them how your operates."
The room got very after Cuso had speaking. West to muse. "What do you think we have here?" he said.
"If I the answer to that question, I would not be such a thing," Cuso answered.
"Quite true," West agreed. "I was to ask such a question."
"The time is here to end stupidity," Cuso said.
"Again I agree," the man answered. He shrugged. "Well, when and where do you want me to start?" The on his was a mixture of and resignation. It that he had up completely.
"Now you are talking the of I like to hear," Cuso said emphatically. "You will start now, and me, personally, that is of in this mountain."
"Very well. Follow me." West and moved toward the opening that to the where the super was hidden.
"Wait here," Cuso at his lieutenant. "Shoot any person who moves."
"Yes, great one," the answered, saluting. This was the of order he loved to obey.
Cuso and West out of sight.
Jake, Cal, and Ed in the middle of the room. Ed approached the lieutenant, toward Nedra, and spoke to the man. The his vigorously, a which to that Ed was being very stupid. The to himself and moved away. Out of the of his he the nurse.
Nedra him. She also Kurt Zen. As as so many statues, the new people against the walls. They stunned. The had to them and they were having in to it. John was not in the room. Either he had succeeded in or he had been killed.
The was directly across the from Zen. Farther the wall, in and a bra, was a blonde. When he was not Nedra, Ed paid attention to her. His to the lieutenant. Lifting his rifle, he a single through the of the bantam.
Ed collapsed, he the floor. Two Asian soldiers the away.
"That is on lovers," Zen whispered.
Nedra did not answer him. Her was and her was shallow. A of on her forehead. Glancing at her, Zen had the that she was listening.
For what? he wondered. The only thing that was left for any of them was the of the of doom. Zen had no that Cuso would keep his promises for any longer than was expedient. First, West and all the others must be of information, the whole of the must be explored, then—more for the hole.
Zen had no that either West or the new people would long the they be to divulge. As to Cuso's talk of West being a as a of the Asian Federation, for protection, the that Asian had been among the missing now. A who from vanished.
Across the the also vanished.
One second he was there, the next second he was—gone!
