Denton stood, at a height of about five feet eight inches,and Tanner stood and looked down at him and chuckled,

"I'll make it," he said. "If that citizen from Bostonmade it through and died, I'll make it through and live.I've been as far as the Missus Hip."

"You're lying."

"No, I ain't either, and if you ever find out that'sstraight, remember I got this piece of paper in my pocket—every criminal action* and like that. It wasn't easy, andI was lucky, too. But I made it that far and, nobody elseyou know can say that. So I figure that's about halfway.and I can make the other half if I can get that far."

They moved toward the door.

"I don't like to say it and mean it," said Denton, "butgood luck. Not for your sake, though."

"Yeah, I know."

Denton opened the door. "Turn him loose," he said."He's driving."

The officer with the shotgun handed it to the manwho had given Tanner the cigarettes, and he fished inhis pockets for the key. When he found it, he unlockedthe cuffs, stepped back, and hung them at his belt "I'llcome with you," said Denton. "The motor pool is downstairs."

They left the office, and Mrs. Fiske opened her purseand took a rosary into her hands and bowed her head.She prayed for Boston and she prayed for the soul of itsdeparted messenger. She even threw in a couple for HellTanner.

Ill They descended to the basement, the sub-basement andthe sub-sub-basement.

When they got there. Tanner saw three cars, ready togo; and he saw five men seated on benches along thewall. One of them he recognized.

"Denny," he said, "come here," and he moved forward, and a slim, blond youth who held a crash helmetin his right hand stood and walked toward him.

"What the bell are you doing?" he asked him.

"I'm second driver in car three."

"You've got your own garage and you've kept yournose clean. What's the thought on this?"

"Denton offered me fifty grand," said Denny, and Hellturned away his face.

"Forget iti It's no good if you're deadi"

"I need the money."

"Why?"

"I want to get married and I can use it."

"I thought you were making out okay."

"I am, but I'd like to buy a house."

"Does your girl know what you've got in mind?"

"No."

"I didn't think so. Listen, I've got to do it—it's theonly way out for me. You don't have to—"

"That's for me to say."

"—so I'm going to tell you something: You driveout to Pasadena to that place where we used to playwhen we were kids—with the rocks and the three bigtrees—you know where I mean?"

"Yeah, I sure do remember."

"Go back of the big tree in the middle, on the sidewhere I carved my initials. Step off seven steps and digdown around four feet. Got that?""Yeah. What's there?"

"That's my legacy, Denny. You'll find one of those oldstrong boxes, probably all rusted out by now. Bust it open.It'll be full of excelsior, and there'll be a six-inch jointof pipe inside. It's threaded, and there's caps on bothends. There's a little over five grand rolled up inside it,and all the bills are clean."

"Why you telling me this?"

"Because it's yours now," he said, and he hit him in thejaw. When Denny fell, he kicked him in the ribs, threetimes, before the cops grabbed him and dragged himaway.

"You fool!" said Denton as they held him. "You crazy,damned fool!"

"Uh-uh," said Tanner. "No brother of mine is goingto run Damnation Alley while I'm around to stomp himand keep him out of the game. Better find another driverquick, because he's got cracked ribs. Or else let me drivealone."

"Then you'll drive alone," said Denton, "because wecan't afford to wait around any longer. There's pills inthe compartment, to keep you awake, and you'd betteruse them, because if you fall back they'll burn you up.Remember that."

"I won't forget you, mister, if I'm ever back in town.Don't fret about that."

"Then you'd better get into car number two and startheading up the ramp. The vehicles are all loaded. Thecargo compartment is under the rear seat."

"Yeah, I know."

"... And if I ever see you again, it'll be too soon. Getout of my sight, scum!"

Tanner spat on the floor and turned his back on theSecretary of Traffic. Several cops were giving first aid tohis brother, and one had dashed off in search of a doctor. Denton made two teams of the remaining four driversand assigned them to cars one and three. Tanner climbedinto the cab of his own, started the engine and waited.He stared up the ram, and considered what lay ahead. Hesearched the compartments until he found cigarettes. Helit one and leaned back- The other drivers moved forward and mounted theirown heavily shielded vehicles. The radio crackled, crackled,hummed, crackled again, and then a voice came throughas he heard the other engines come to life.

"Car one—readyl" came the voice.

There was a pause, then, "Car three—ready!" said adifferent voice.

Tanner lifted the microphone and mashed the buttonon its side.

"Car two ready," he said.

"Move out," came the order, and they headed up the ramp.

The door rolled upward before them, and they enteredthe storm.

IV

It was a nightmare, getting out of L.A. and onto Route91. The waters came down in sheets and rocks the size ofbaseballs banged against the armor plating of his car.Tanner smoked and turned on the special lights. He woreinfrared goggles, and the night and the storm stalked him.

The radio crackled many times, and it seemed that heheard the murmur of a distant voice, but he could neverquite make out what it was trying to say.

They followed the road for a& far as it went, and astheir big tires sighed over the rugged terrain that beganwhere the road ended, Tanner took the lead and theothers were content to follow. He knew the way; theydidn't.

He followed the old smugglers' route he'd used to runcandy to the Mormons. It was possible that he was theonly one left alive that knew it. Possible, but then therewas always someone looking for a fast buck. So, in all ofL.A., there might be somebody else.

The lightning began to fall, not in bolts, but sheets.The car was insulated, but after a time his hair stood onend. He might have seen a giant Gila Monster once, buthe couldn't be sure. He kept his fingers away from thefire-control board. He'd save his teeth tai menaces wereimminent. From the rearview scanners it seemed thatone of the cars behind him had discharged a rocket, buthe couldn't be sure, since he had lost all radio contactwith them immediately upon leaving the building.

Waters rushed toward him, splashed about his car. Thesky sounded like an artillery range. A boulder the size ofa tombstone fell in front of him, and he swerved about it.Red lights flashing across the sky from north to south. Intheir passing, he detected many black bands going fromwest to east. It was not an encouraging spectacle. Thestorm could go on for days.

He continued to move forward, skirting a pocket ofradiation that had not died in the four years since last hehad come this way.

They came upon a place where the sands were fusedinto a glassy sea, and he slowed as he began its passagepeering ahead after the craters and chasms it contained.

Three more rockfalls assailed him before the heavenssplit themselves open and revealed a bright blue lightedged with violet. The dark curtains rolled back towardthe Poles, and the roaring and the gunfire reports diminished. A lavender glow remained in the north, and a greensun dipped toward the horizon.

They had ridden it out. He killed the infras, pushedback his goggles and switched on the normal night lamps.

The desert would be bad enough, all by itself.

Something big and bat-like swooped through the tunnelof his lights and was gone. He ignored its passage. Fiveminutes later it made a second pass, this time muchcloser, and he fired a magnesium flare. A black shape,perhaps forty feet across, was illuminated, and he gave ittwo five-second bursts from the fifty-calibers and it fell tothe ground and did not return again.