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He sat there for a long while, feeling the cold, moist breezes; and the rainfall lessened after a time, and hewent back to the car and started it. Greg was still unconscious, he noted, as he backed out. This might not be good.
He took a pill to keep himself alert and he ate some rations as he drove along. The rain continued to come down, but gently. It fell all the way across Ohio, and the sky remained overcast. He crossed into West Virginia at the place called Parkersburg, and then he veered slightly to the north, going by the old Rand-McNally he'd been furnished. The gray day went away into black night, and he drove on.
There were no more of the dark bats around to trouble him, but he passed several more craters and the radiation gauge rose, and at one point a pack of huge wild dogs pursued him, baying and howling, and they ran along the road and snapped at his tires and barked and yammered and then fell back. There were some tremors beneath his wheels as he passed another mountain that spewed forth bright clouds to his left and made a kind of thunder. Ashes fell, and he drove through them. A flash flood splashed over him, and the engine sputtered and died, twice; but be started it again each time and pushed on ahead, the waters lapping about his sides. Then he reached higher, drier ground, apd riflemen tried to bar his way. He strafed them and hurled a grenade and drove on by. When the darkness went away and the dim moon came up, dark birds circled him and dove down at him, but he ignored them and after a time they, too, were gone.
He drove until he felt tired again, and then he ate some more and took another pill. By then he was in Pe
He halted twice to visit the latrine, and he tugged at the golden band in bis pierced left ear, and he blew his nose and scratched himself. Then he ate more rations and continued on.
He began to ache, in all his muscles, and he wanted to stop and rest, but he was afraid of the things that might come upon him if he did.
As he drove through another dead town, the rains started again. Not hard, just a drizzly downpour, coldlooking and sterile—a. brittle, shiny screen. He stoppedin the middle of the road before the thing he'd almost driven into, and he stared at it.
He'd thought at first that it was more black lines in the sky. He'd halted because they'd seemed to appear too suddenly.
It was a spider's web, strands thick as his arm, strung between two leaning buildings.
He switched on his forward flame and began to burn it.
When the fires died, he saw the approaching shape, coming down from high above.
It was a spider, larger than himself, rushing to check the disturbance.
He elevated the rocket launchers, took careful aim and pierced it with one white-hot missile.
It still hung there in the trembling web and seemed to be kicking.
He turned on the flame again, for a full ten seconds, and when it subsided there was an open way before him.
He rushed through, wide awake and alert once again, his pains forgotten. He drove as fast as he could, trying to forget the sight.
Another mountain smoked ahead and to his right, but it did not bloom, and few ashes descended as he passed it.
He made coffee and drank a cup. After awhile it was morning, and he raced toward it XI He was stuck in the mud, somewhere in eastern Pe
He slept.
He awoke and felt worse. There was a banging on the side of the car. His hands moved toward fire-control and wing-control, automatically, and his eyes sought the screens.
He saw an old man, and there were two younger men with him. They were armed, but they stood right before the left wing, and he knew he could cut them- in half in an instant.
He activated the outside speaker and the audio pickup.
"What do you want?" he asked, and his voice crackled forth."You okay?" the old man called.
"Not really. You caught me sleeping."
"You stuck?"
"That's about the size of it."
"I got a mule team can maybe get you out. Can't get *em here before tomorrow morning, though."
"Great!" said Ta
"Where you from?"
"L.A."
"What's that?"
"Los Angeles. West Coast."
There was some murmuring, then, "You're a long way from home, mister."
"Don't I know it.—Look, if you're serious about those mules, I'd appreciate bell out of it. It's an emergency."
"What kind of?"
"You know about Boston?"
"I know it's there."
"Well, people are dying up that way of the plague. I've got drugs here can save them, if I can get through."
There were some more murmurs, then, "We'll help you. Boston's pretty important, and we'll get you loose. Want to come back with us?"
"Where? And who are you?"
"The name's Samuel Potter, and these are my sons, Roderick and Caliban. My farm's about six miles off. You're welcome to spend the night."
"It's not that I don't trust you," said Ta
"Well, how about if we put up our guns? You're probably able to shoot us from there, ain't you?"
"That's right."
"So we're taking a chance just standing here. We're willing to help you. We'd stand to lose if the Boston traders stopped coming to Albany. If there's someone else inside, he can cover you."
"Wait a minute," said Ta
The old man stuck out his hand, and Ta
"Is there any kind of doctor around here?" he asked.
"In the settlement—about thirty miles north."
"My partner's hurt. I think he needs a doctor." He gestured back toward the cab.
Sam moved forward and peered within. "Why's he all trussed up like that?" "He went off his rocker, and I had to clobber him. I tied him up, to be safe. But now he doesn't look so good."
"Then let's whip up a stretcher and get him onto it You lock up tight then, and my boys'll bring him back to the house. We'll send someone for the Doc. You don't look so good yourself. Bet you'd like a bath and a shave and a clean bed."
"I don't feel so good,** Ta
He sat upon the fender and smoked while the Potter boys cut trees and stripped them. Waves of fatigue washed over him, and he found it hard to keep his eyes open. His feet felt very far away, and his shoulders ached. The cigarette fell from his fingers, and he leaned backward on the hood.
Someone was slapping his leg. He forced his eyes open and looked down. "Okay," Potter said. "We cut your partner loose and we got him on the stretcher. Want to lock up and get moving?"
Ta
They began walking across country, and after awhile it became mechanical.
Samuel Potter kept up a steady line of chatter as he led the way, rifle resting in the crook of his arm. Maybe it was to keep Ta
"It's not too far, son, and it'll be pretty easy going in just a few minutes now. What'd you say your name was anyhow?"
"Hell," said Ta
"That's just fine," Ta