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ted him。 That was about … few days ago。。。 Thought he might be a Free … Freefighter； 'cause he was dressed … different then us simple folk。 I … we … told them we didn't see … didn't know。。。 they shot our children one by one； trying to find out … but God； we didn't …〃
Rockson knew injuries … when they were hopeless； when they weren't。 This was hopeless。 The man had minutes。 His trussed hands were blue swollen dead things； the circulation out of them for hours。 The man's lips trembled； spoke these words： 〃Please； please。。。 kill me。 Kill me …〃
Rockson lifted his shotpistol and dispatched the man from his agony。 〃Well bury him too … alongside the little girl；〃 Rockson said。 〃We can't stop to collect all the bones in this town； but we will bury the two of them as a token of respect for all the people martyred here。〃
On the way to the pile of rocks at the edge of town that would serve as the burial site； the Freefighters came upon two dead Russians。 Their faces were eaten away by the wolves； but their uniforms of cheap brown synthetic material hadn't proved as tasty。 〃A lieutenant and a sergeant；〃 Rock noted； pointing to the stripes on their sleeves。 〃There's a bullet hole in each of their heads … big caliber。〃
The Sov's guns were out。 Tokarev ten…shot pistols。 Fired。
Behind the rocks the Freefighters found the American shooters body。 A mountain man with a blunder…buss single…shot moose gun。 He was intact； the wolves had been busy on the Sovs。
〃We'll bury this brave and good man too。 He deserves it。〃
As they returned to Scheransky； who had been watching them with the binoculars as they made their grim rounds； Danik asked about the shot in the shed。 Rockson told him they had found a man in pain； but alive。 Beyond help。
〃Did you find out why the Reds did this？〃 Danik asked。 〃I know from the tapes I studied in Century City that a munity like this is usually left alone。。。〃
Rockson saw no point in telling Danik that he was the unwitting cause of this atrocity。 〃No； we don't know why the Reds did this；〃 Rock said flatly。 〃We have to move on。〃
It was always their intention to save the precious food supply the carried for themselves and hunt food for the wolf…dog teams。 But they'd seen no game； not even any tracks； since setting out。 Now； when they did see tracks； it was that of a small rabbit。
The tracks were hours old； Rock saw when he stopped to examine them。 〃No sense in going after the little thing； it would hardly sate the teams anyway。 Let's push on；〃 Rock said。 〃I don't like the looks of those clouds。〃 He pointed up to the south。
〃More acid snow？〃 Rona asked。
〃No； but nevertheless it's sure to be a bad storm。〃
Indeed in a matter of minutes a wind started rising and soon became a howling enemy。 The wind…driven snow； though of the ordinary variety； took their breaths away。 It was ing directly from the south； so the choice was either to take a different tack or fight it。 Rockson promised； ordering the team to turn southwest and keep moving。
The temperature dropped rapidly。 Rock glanced at the thermometer reading on his watch … seventy below。 He saw Danik falter and let go of his rope and fall。 Rock stopped the sleds。 McCaughlin raced over and helped Rock put the man on his sled； covering him with everything available。
〃What's wrong with him？〃 McCaughlin asked； shouting into the wind。
〃I think he's still a bit weak from his ordeal getting to Century City。 All the vitamin shots in the world can't make up for a frozen trek like that。 The Edenites never had to endure much in the way of low temperatures。 We've got to find shelter。〃 Rock replied。
To make things worse； in another ten minutes of slow travel； the dogs abandoned their fanned…out position at the end of the nylon rope traces and tangled themselves into immobility。 They began howling and biting at the strong rope。 〃We've got to untangle them； find shelter。〃 Rock implored。
It took twenty minutes of bone…chilling work for all of them to untangle the dogs … and they had to take off their mittens to straighten out the traces。 They were well on their way to having frostbitten fingers by the time they got moving again。 Danik was barely conscious； bundled down under ten layers of blankets and furs in Rockson's sled。
They were on a high plateau； totally exposed to the elements。 Rock had to find them cover now； or Danik would die。 And the mission with him。
Rockson took up the infrared binoculars and scanned ahead。 The binocs cut through some of the obscuring effects of the storm。 Dimly Rockson made out a line of boulders ten or twelve miles ahead； down from their exposed position on the hill； in a little valley。 Maybe there would be shelter somewhere in that jumble of rocks。 He certainly hoped so。
The Doomsday Warrior； lifting the many fur coverings； took a glance at Danik's face。 It was ashen； his breathing was shallow。 He hoped he would last till they got there。
It took another twenty minutes to get into the sheltered valley and find a group of three huge rocks。 There was a space between the them big enough for the humans to scramble through with their tent and some supplies … including the Primus stove。
Danik had to be passed from arms to arms wrapped in his blankets； for he was pletely unconscious。 There was just enough room to set up the survival tent there among the boulders out of the wind。 With frozen determination； they acplished that task； and pulled the stove inside and lit it up。 They placed Danik closest to the stove's heat。 The dogs would manage in the lee of the wind； sleeping in a huge tumble with one another。 They had the stamina to do so。
There in the rapidly erected silver tent the cold and hungry Freefighters huddled。 As the tent slowly grew warmer； they began to unpack the bundle of food…stuffs Rock had dragged along。 Danik came around as the temperature rose。 They fed him some hot broth McCaughlin brewed up out of chunks of preserved venison； some melted snow； and vitamin capsules。
They were safe from Mother Nature's winter wrath。 For now。
The alarm woke him up at six o'clock； McCaughlin eased out among them。 It was totally dark。 It shouldn't be。 No … there was a bit of light at the very peak of the tent。 He realized they were nearly buried in snow。 The Scots…American rose up to full height； the air was very stale。 He snapped open the chimney slit in the tent top。 It instantly got colder； but the air was okay。 He peered through the hole。 It had stopped snowing…they could dig out later。 The others began to stir。
McCaughlin knew what was needed besides his jokes to restore morale。 He started up breakfast： venison strips as bacon substitute and hot coffee and biscuits … the kind you just put in a pan and swell up once you cover them and they steam。 His own famous trail biscuits。
Sniffing the food odors did more to awaken his panions than did the alarm。 〃Rise and shine； mateys； breakfast is all ready。〃
〃Never heard a more pleasant sentence；〃 Rockson said。 He turned up the Coleman lamp and looked around at the bundled…up Freefighters now ing to life。 〃Why is it so dark in here？〃
McCaughlin explained。 Rock frowned。 〃Of course … how could I be so stupid … we could have suffocated。〃
〃Not with you along we couldn't；〃 McCaughlin said。 〃You have mutant's luck； remember？〃
Danik lay half asleep still on Rockson's sled when they set off on their way again。 He was still the worse for wear； but improving rapidly after the warmth and sleep and good food。 The warming sunbeams seemed to bring the man around further。
Rockson took sun readings every three hours； when they paused for hot green tea … an Eskimo custom Rock had picked up。
Scheransky asked Rockson to e to look at some odd ice formations a bit away from the others。 He had something； he said； on his mind。 Rockson asked him what it was。
Scheransky's dark eyes were intense。 〃I want to know what really happened to you out in the desert； after our Alaska mission last year。 After you left us in Alaska to chase down that missile； what happened to you？ What's the big secret about the missing five days of your trek to Century City？ I heard that the only one you told is Dr。 Schecter。〃
Rockson decided to tell Scheransky。 He was a technician； a scientist。 Perhaps someone other than Schecter should know。 Maybe Scheransky could help Schecter in his project； a project based upon what had happened in Rockson's missing five days。 〃I went backward in time； that's what happened。〃
〃Backward in time？ Is that possible？〃
〃I didn't believe it was … but it happened。 I was caught in a twin…tornado storm … one of the Kala…Ka storms you've probably read about。 I was tossed through some sort of time portal； and went back to 1989。 I'll tell you sometime what happened back there。 The important thing is I came back into the present。 Schecter thinks that it would be theoretically possible to set up the same conditions I encountered in the Kala…Ka artificially in the lab and send me … or someone … back in time again。 It would be very dangerous。。。〃
〃Then； why …〃
〃Scheransky； think a second。 What could you； what would you do in 1989； if you could？〃
〃Back in 1989？ Why； that's when …〃
〃Right…that's when World War Three started。 If someone were to go back in time and； say； assassinate Premier Drushkin … the man who launched the surprise attack on America …〃
Scheransky gasped。 〃Why； then the war would never …〃
〃Right。 The war might never have happened。 America wouldn't have been devastated。 There wouldn't have been the death of billions of men； women； and children； the radiation clouds wouldn't have swept over the planet。〃
The Russian sank back on his heels。 〃Da。 But that might have some … unpleasant consequences。 It would change everything。 Even who is alive in the twenty…first century。 It would change history so much。 There would never be a Century City； for instance。〃
〃You see the problem。 Very good； and it's a big if … Schecter can acplish time travel； it would be a better idea to change things just slightly； so that … say … the Reds' occupation of America after the war was not very successful。 Or perhaps go back and take out just the Soviet missiles that went off track and hit our nuclear power plants … and sent all that radiation up into the air。 Something like that would be better than undoing all of history。〃 Scheransky whistled。 〃That would be tremendous。〃 〃Of course； it's only theoretically possible。 And if the Russians were to get the gist of what I just told you； they could start research on the Kala…Ka phenomenon on their own and perhaps also achieve time travel。 That's why only Schecter … and now you … know。〃
〃Oh； my god。 This must not get to the Soviets。〃 〃Yes。。。 you see the problem。 Now you understand why it's top…top…secret。〃
〃I swear by my mother's grave。。。〃 〃I know； Scheransky； I know。 Now I told you because I think with your technical background； with what you know about Soviet technology； you might be able to lend Schecter a hand with the project； once we get back。。。〃
〃I would love nothing better； my friend。〃 〃Good。 I'll see to it。 Now that I let the cat out of the bag with you； I can't see Schecter not bringing you in on it。 It would take some of the enormous burden off his shoulders to have an assistant。〃
〃You honor me； my friend。 And I am so happy that you trust me。。。〃
Rockson squeezed his shoulder。 〃I trust you totally。 You're a part of the team。 You're one of us now。〃
CHAPTER 9
They made good time trekking； covering a hundred winding miles through rolling terrain each day。 They camped in snow caves or rock overhangs。 The routine set in。 Up at dawn； check the dogs； feed them a ration portion each of the dwindling dried meat supply； get some breakfast down themselves； then drive the teams across the deep winter snow。 Tea and pemmican breaks in the trek； navigation readings and paring the notebook and their maps。 And always； always； tugging at Rockson's gut； the realization that they could be hopelessly off course。
Six days after the Hall of Presidents； they found evidence of game。 Deer tracks。
They braked their sleds； drew them behind some winterberry bushes； as a wind shield。
Archer was the first to volunteer。 〃Meeee gooo huntttt；〃 he demanded。 He drew up his huge make…shift crossbow and