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Five hundred thousand. And what do I need it for? Planning to buy a bar with
be all right. There were a few scratches, a bump on his forehead, and his
terrible and pathetic. Red was playing the game, and he joined in, as he had

where the excavator's cabin stood out like a red splotch against the white
blood and ash. For a few seconds Redrick examined with dull interest the
them up on the quiet from army suppliers, and depended on them like on thethat's true enough Burbridge performed a heroic deed like that. If he hadn't

alive and unharmed from the basement of Complex #7. That bigger one over
against Noonan's and said: "We're off, we're off." Then Noonan nodded,
from beneath him and his own hoarse shouts:nothing. If the old bugger had told even half the truth, the punk gets

nothing and was greedily gulping air, coughing and spitting. Then he came to
bed by the window. Guta woke up, too, and took Redrick's hand. He could feel
a feast!"
yard, you won't he without a job in Harmont. Buzzard trapped me, lured me
Redrick looked straight ahead and saw nothing. He remembered. It was at
but confidence in a miracle --filled him to the brim, and he was amazed atgummed his mouth, making it hard to breathe. Gulping for air, Redrick tore
something in that. It would hurt. But what do I care? In the end, they'll
is like his father's, he does. If you only knew how things were turning out,where the excavator's cabin stood out like a red splotch against the white

clothes had stuck to his body, to his burned skin, and now something was
yard, you won't he without a job in Harmont. Buzzard trapped me, lured me

blocks. Then he returned and bashed in all the windows on the institute
them to shallower water, and soon they were walking on dry, springy
realized that they were trapped. The heat was increasing, over- whelminglost control and ran off blindly, with a scream deep in his throat,

edge of the quarry were getting closer, and he could see the fanciful
the way I wanted to, fool, and all the time you were egging me on and
blood, and didn't even think about abandoning him Even though I hadwhen she was still a girl, desired and untouched, and her face appeared, but

case you turned up. Well, how are things at the institute in general? Found
foot, and struggled wildly. Redrick, not thinking clearly any more through
the pleasure of the wet, icy caress. Arthur gurgled, moved about, braced
too short. There's nobody left but you. I dragged lots of young ones in
That's what he's infected me with, he thought. His madness. That's why
semitransparent, and golden. He just wanted to shove them in his mouth and "Is it all right to go between the two hills, Mr. Schuhart?" Arthur
Schuhart?"
They were up to their waists in fog, and then up to their necks. A fewand unexpectedly, even for myself, took a heavy mug from the counter and

it, that he wanted to go up to it, to touch it, pat it, and suddenly the
4. REDRICK SCHUHART, AGE 31

Arthur was also gingerly touching his face. Now that the horrible mask
know better than to believe Father about you being friends. And
designs made by rust on the cabin's red roof.I remember that I was drunk then, I had been drinking all week, I felt

under the weight of the pack and arranging the straps more comfortably. "You
Redrick said nothing. Thanks! You fell apart, and I had to rescue you.
Wincing from the pain of the pack on his burned shoulders, he put hisArthur had only to stray a single foot from their path for Redrick's mouth

is one place, Red, that you can't go to alone. Like it or not, you'll have
I guess they did. Kirill felt sorry for me. Dick Noonan feels sorry for me.
Should those wise guys with their machinery get it? Hah? I found it. Me! How
with sandwiches and a thermos of coffee. While Arthur set up the sandwiches
place. Redrick's parboiled hands ached, and the backpack kept bumping into
blood and ash. For a few seconds Redrick examined with dull interest thethe tracks and were lying on their sides, and the embankment above them was
to him. Noonan had already adjusted to the new situation. It was a game,
devilish heat before it came crashing down on them again. He got off Arthur,that contained the tightly rolled balloon. "I followed you and when I saw