"Who"s next?"
d.i.n.kowski gulped. "Take me, Corporal."
Talley shrugged. "Okay."
(d.a.m.n you, d.i.n.ky-why didn"t you wait and simply make it unanimous? And d.a.m.n that silly second john for ordering me to ask for volunteers. Better to tell "em.) "Let"s hear some more voices. This isn"t the S.O.S." (Lieutenant Birdbrain, you postnasal drip, Cadwallader is right; it"s not not our turn. Why didn"t you go through the platoon sergeant and section leader? they"re fair about handing out dirty details.) our turn. Why didn"t you go through the platoon sergeant and section leader? they"re fair about handing out dirty details.) Russell and Wyatt spoke up together. Lazarus waited, then said, "Cadwallader? You"re the only holdout."
"Corporal, you asked for three volunteers. How come you want the whole squad?"
(Because I want you, you unappetizing ape. You"re the best soldier in the squad.) "Because I need you. Will you volunteer?"
"I ain"t no volunteer, Corporal; I was drafted."
"Very well." (d.a.m.n all officers who interfere where they shouldn"t.) "Wyatt, you were out last night; get back in your bunk. Russell, you get some sleep, too; you may be busy soon. Schultz, I"ll take d.i.n.kowski; you take Talley. Black me up first and make it fast; I"ve got to see the Lieutenant. Get out the cork."
Lazarus got through their own wire without much trouble by enlarging breaks German sh.e.l.ls had made. He did all the work himself, simply requiring d.i.n.kowski to stay flat and follow him. There was the regular crump! crump! of artillery, their own and the German howitzers. Lazarus ignored them, there being nothing better he could do. The chattering cough of machine guns he ignored, too, as long as the sound came from far enough along his flanks. Snipers he did not worry about other than to stay low. of artillery, their own and the German howitzers. Lazarus ignored them, there being nothing better he could do. The chattering cough of machine guns he ignored, too, as long as the sound came from far enough along his flanks. Snipers he did not worry about other than to stay low.
His prime wariness was directed at German patrols-if any -and at starsh.e.l.ls-far too many. The latter were the reason he had d.i.n.kowski stay belly down; he did not trust his a.s.sistant to freeze and hold it if caught on his knees when a star sh.e.l.l burst.
Once past the last of their own entanglements he led d.i.n.kowski, both belly-crawling, into a sh.e.l.l hole, then put his mouth to the private"s ear. "Stay here till I get back."
"But, Corporal, I don"t want to stay behind!"
"Not so loud; you"ll wake the baby. Whisper against my ear. If I"m not back in an hour, go back alone."
"But I can"t find my way back!"
"There"s the Dipper, there"s the Pole Star. Go back southwest. If you miss the gaps, you"ve got wirecutters. Just remember this: When a star sh.e.l.l bursts-freeze! The time to move is just as it goes out, while their eyes are still dazzled. And try to be quiet; you remind me of two skeletons on a tin roof. Don"t get shot by our own people at the last minute. What"s the pa.s.sword?" The time to move is just as it goes out, while their eyes are still dazzled. And try to be quiet; you remind me of two skeletons on a tin roof. Don"t get shot by our own people at the last minute. What"s the pa.s.sword?"
"Uh-"
"Oh, h.e.l.l, it"s "Charlie Chaplin." Forget it again and you"ll get more than a blighty; some of our lads are trigger-happy. Now repeat back."
"Corporal, I"m going to cut wire with you. you."
Lazarus sighed inwardly. The clumsy little clown wanted to soldier. If I don"t let him tag along, it can kill his spirit. But if I do let him, it might kill both of us. Cadwallader, I admire your good sense-and hate your guts. And wish I had you along.
"All right. Not a word from here on. Pat my foot and point if you have to-and stay that close. Remember what I said about star sh.e.l.ls. See any Boche, don"t breathe. If they surprise us-surrender at once."
""Surrender"?"
"If you want to be a grandfather. You can"t kill a German patrol all by your lonesome. Even if you could, it would make so much racket that their machine guns would chop you in two. Stick close and stay down."
Lazarus could almost touch the first German wire when a star sh.e.l.l burst and the private panicked-tried for a sh.e.l.l hole they had just come through and was. .h.i.t as he fell into it.
Lazarus lay still and listened to screams as the dazzling star burned above him. One of our own, he mused; a German sh.e.l.l would burst to backlight the American trenches. If that poor little dope doesn"t shut up, the air around here is going to be thick with merry greetings. Can"t cut wire with all that advertising. And-oh, h.e.l.l, he"s my boy; I"ve got to take care of him. Probably be a favor to d.i.n.ky to finish him off-but Maureen wouldn"t like that. Okay, let"s get him back-then come back and finish this crummy detail. No sleep tonight and over the top about oh-four-hundred. Next time join the Navy.
The flare died out and Lazarus was up fast and moving-as another star sh.e.l.l flared. Machine-gun bullets st.i.tched his side and knocked him into the sh.e.l.l hole. One struck a hard implant in the right side of his belly, tumbled, and chewed its way out just above his left hip. Others did other damage-nothing too difficult to repair in 4291 A.D., but, this being the Dark Ages, any one of them was enough.
Lazarus felt it only as a mighty blow that knocked him off his feet and into the sh.e.l.l hole. He did not become unconscious at once; he had time to realize that he was mortally wounded. He lay as he had fallen and looked up at his stars, realizing that he had come to his ending place.
Every animal finds its ending place. Some find it in a trap, another in a fight it cannot win, some happy few in a quiet place to wait for the end. Whatever it is, it is the ending place and most of us know when we reach it. This is mine.
Did d.i.n.ky know? I think so, he"s stopped screaming-I think he looked looked for his. Odd that it doesn"t hurt. Thanks for making it worthwhile, Maureen . . Llita . . Dorable . . Tamara . . Minerva . . Laz, Lor . . Ira . . Maureen- for his. Odd that it doesn"t hurt. Thanks for making it worthwhile, Maureen . . Llita . . Dorable . . Tamara . . Minerva . . Laz, Lor . . Ira . . Maureen- He heard wild geese honking high overhead, looked up at his stars again as they blacked out.
II.
[image]
"You still don"t understand," the Gray Voice droned on. "There is no time, there is no s.p.a.ce. What was, is, and ever shall be. You are you, playing chess with yourself, and again you have checkmated yourself. You are the referee. Morals are your agreement with yourself to abide by your own rules. To thine own self be true or you spoil the game."
"Crazy."
"Then vary the rules and play a different game. You cannot exhaust her infinite variety."
"If you would just let me look at your face," Lazarus muttered pettishly.
"Try a mirror."
III.
[image]
From the Kansas City Post Post November 7, 1918: November 7, 1918: [image]
IV.
[image]
"Ira! Galahad! Got him?"
"Yes! Hoist us in! Oh, what a mess! Ish, about two liters and lots of jelly."
"Get him inside and let me see him. Lor, you can get us out of here now."
"Seal up, Dora, and bounce it!"
"Sealed and zooming! Screens down! What the G.o.dd.a.m.n h.e.l.l have they done to Boss?"
"I"m trying to find out, Dora. Be ready with the tank; I may freeze him."
"Ready now, Ish. Laz-Lor, I told you we should pick him up sooner. I told told you." you."
"Pipe down, Dora. We told told him he"d get his a.s.s shot off. But he was having more fun than kittens-" him he"d get his a.s.s shot off. But he was having more fun than kittens-"
"-and wouldn"t have thanked us-"
"-and wouldn"t have come-"
"-you know how stubborn he is."
"Tamara," said Ishtar, "cuddle his head and talk to him. Keep him alive. I don"t want to freeze him-if at all-until I"ve made temporary repairs. Hamadryad, clamp there! Mm Galahad, one slug hit the Finder. That"s how his intestines got so chopped up."
"Clone-trans?"
"Perhaps. The way he regenerates, repair and support may be enough. Justin, you were right; the dates on his letters did prove that he didn"t last through it; losing the Finder"s signal pinpointed when and where. Galahad, are you finding more fragments? I want to close him. Tamara, rouse him, make him talk! I don"t don"t want to have to freeze him. The rest of you shut up and get want to have to freeze him. The rest of you shut up and get out! out! Go help Minerva with the children." Go help Minerva with the children."
"Glad to," Justin said hoa.r.s.ely. "I"m about to throw up."
"Maureen?" Lazarus murmured.
"I"m here, darling," Tamara answered, cradling his head against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
"Bad . . dream. Thought . . I was . . dead."
"Just a dream, Beloved. You cannot die."
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1.
Gregorian Terran dates are used throughout, as no other calendar, not even Standard Galactic, is certain to be known to scholars of every planet. Translators should add local dates for clarification.
2.
When the Howard Families seized the Starship New Frontiers New Frontiers only a few were more than a century and a quarter old; all of that few-save the Senior-are dead, at times and places on record. (I except the strange and possibly mythical case of life-in-death of Elder Mary Sperling.) Despite genetic advantage and access to the longevity therapies known collectively as "the immortality option," the last died in 3003 Gregorian. By the records it would seem that most of them died through refusing further rejuvenation-that being still the second commonest cause of death today. only a few were more than a century and a quarter old; all of that few-save the Senior-are dead, at times and places on record. (I except the strange and possibly mythical case of life-in-death of Elder Mary Sperling.) Despite genetic advantage and access to the longevity therapies known collectively as "the immortality option," the last died in 3003 Gregorian. By the records it would seem that most of them died through refusing further rejuvenation-that being still the second commonest cause of death today.
3.
(1) Ira Johnson was less than eighty at the time the Senior claims (elsewhere) to have left home. Ira Johnson was himself a Doctor of Medicine. How long he practiced, and whether or not he ever let another Doctor of Medicine attend him, are not known.
J.F. 45th (2) Ira Ira Howard- Howard-Ira Johnson-This appears to be a chance coincidence of given names at a time when Biblical names were common. Families" genealogists have been unable to trace any consanguinity. Johnson-This appears to be a chance coincidence of given names at a time when Biblical names were common. Families" genealogists have been unable to trace any consanguinity.
4.
Ira Johnson was seventy when Lazarus Long was ten.
5.