Lucifer's Hammer

As suddenly as it had been fu

The man looked thoughtful. Finally he nodded. “Okay, I guess I can do that. But you wait right here. I mean right here, understand? And don’t get gay with that shotgun.”

“We don’t want to shoot anybody. I just want to talk to Maureen.”

“Okay. Right there. I’ll be a while.” He went to the car, locked it and walked up the driveway.

Walked. Saving gasoline already. Yes, the Senator had his place organized. Harvey went back to the TravelAII. Marie tried to say something; he cut through her voice with practiced ease. “Spread the map.”

She thought it over, then did it. Harvey let his forefinger do the talking. “The scouts are in this area. The only route out is right past here. They don’t have to worry about these dams — here, and here — because they don’t have to stay on the road. We do, or else we walk. We’re not equipped to walk it.”

Marie thought that over. She glanced at her boots and fingered her jacket. She was ready to walk, and so was Harvey, but it made sense. Certainly if they had to walk, a few hours wouldn’t make any difference.

“So we wait here?” Joa

Mark stuck his head in at the window. “Sure, this is Senator Jellison’s place. Thought I recognized it. Harv, that was smart, sending a message to the Senator’s daughter instead of him.”

“Wait,” Marie said. “How long?”

“Christ, how the hell do I know?” Harvey exploded. “As long as they’ll let us. This ranch is organized, have you noticed? And they’ve got food; that guard wasn’t hungry. We’d like to feed the boys when they get here. Not to mention ourselves.”

Marie nodded in submission.

“The trouble is,” Harvey continued, “how do we get them to let us in? Blowing up that bridge might have been a subtle hint that they aren’t welcoming refugees in this valley. We have to be useful, which means we promise to do whatever they want us to do, and no goddam arguments about it. Marie, don’t blow this for us. We’re beggars here.”

He waited for that to sink in before turning to Joa

“I knew that,” Joa

“Yes.” Harvey turned to Mark. “Let me do the talking.” Mark looked hurt. Who’d got Harvey out of his bedroom and across the state, all the way up here? But he stood in the rain, water ru

“Company coming,” Mark said finally. He pointed up the drive.

Three men on horseback, wearing yellow slickers and rain hats. One didn’t ride very well. He clung grimly to the horse. When he came closer, Harvey recognized Al Hardy, Jellison’s administrative assistant and political hatchet man.

Hatchet man, Harvey thought. That might be more literally true here than it had been in Washington.

Hardy dismounted and handed the reins to one of the mounted men. He came over to the TravelAII and peered inside. “Hello, Mr. Randall,” he said.

“Hello.” Harvey waited tensely.

“Who are these people?” He looked closely at Marie, but didn’t say anything.

Hardy had met Loretta only once, months ago, Harvey thought. When? A long time, anyway. And Marie Vance never, but he knew she wasn’t Loretta. A good memory for names and faces goes with the job of political adviser…

“A neighbor,” Harvey said. “And two employees.”

“I see. And you came from Los Angeles. Do you know conditions in L.A.?”

“They do,” Harvey said. He indicated Mark and Joa

“I can let two of you come up,” Hardy said. “No more.”

“Then it’s none,” Harvey said. He said it quickly, before he could say something else. “Thanks, and we’ll be on our way—”

“Wait.” Hardy looked thoughtful. “Okay. Hand me the shotgun. Slow, and don’t point it at me.” He took the weapon and handed it to the original guard, who’d also dismounted. “Any more firearms?”

“This pistol.” Harvey showed the Olympic target gun.

“My, but that’s pretty. Give it to me, too. You’ll get them back if you’re not staying.” Hardy took the weapon and thrust it into his belt. “Now make room for me in the back seat.”

He climbed into the back seat, leaned out to speak so the others could hear. “You follow on that bike,” he told Mark. “Stay close. I’m taking them up, Gil. It’s all right.”

“If you say so,” the original guard said.

“Let’s go,” Hardy told Randall. “Drive carefully.”

The gate swung open and Harvey drove through, followed by Mark, then, further behind, by the third man on horseback leading the other two horses.

“Why not leave a horse for the guard?” Harvey asked.

“We have more cars than horses. Rather lose a car if some damn fool tries anything,” Hardy explained.

Harvey nodded. And the car was there, if anything urgent had to get up the hill. Obviously his message hadn’t been thought urgent enough to waste gasoline on.

The TravelAII walked through the thick mud, and Harvey wondered just how long this drive would last. He went past the foreman’s home and toward the big house at the top of the hill. The orange groves looked pitiful, many of the trees down from the high winds — but there was no fruit on the ground. Harvey approved.

Maureen wasn’t in the big front room. Senator Jellison was. He had maps spread across the big dining table, and lists and other papers covered card tables nearby. A bottle of bourbon stood on the table. It was nearly full.

They left their boots out on the porch and came into the big stone house. The Senator stood. He didn’t offer his hand. “I’ll give you a drink if you’ll recognize in advance that it’s not permanent,” Jellison said. “Long time ago, if you offered a man food and drink, that said you’d keep him as a guest. That’s not decided yet.”

“I understand,” Harvey said. “I could use a drink.”

“Right. Al, take the women back to the kitchen stove. They’ll appreciate a chance to dry off. Excuse my ma

“You know it,” Mark said. When the bottle was given to him, he poured an enormous drink into his glass. Harvey grimaced and examined the Senator’s face. There was no change of expression.

“Is Maureen all right?” Harvey asked.

“She’s here,” Jellison said. “Where’s your wife?”

Harvey felt himself flushing. “Dead. Murdered. She was in the house when some people decided to rob it. If you get word of a blue van escorted by chopped motorcycles…”

“Not on my list of priorities. Sorry about Mrs. Randall, though. So who’ve you got with you?”

“The tall woman is Marie Vance, my neighbor. Gordie Vance is at Quaking Aspen with a scout troop. He’s got my son, I’ve got his wife.”

“Uh-huh. She’s elegant. Can she hike, or are those boots for show?”

“She can hike. She can also cook. And I can’t leave her.”

“Cooks I have. The others?”

“They saved my ass. I was ready to lie down and die after I found Loretta.” The whiskey warmed him, and Harvey felt the intensity of the Senator’s questioning. The man was judge and jury, and he wasn’t going to take long to make his decision. “Mark and Joa

“Sure. Okay, what are you trading?”

Harvey shrugged. “A TravelAII I know how to use. Some… hell, a lot of experience surviving — backpacking, war correspondent, helicopter pilot…”