He sat there for a long while, feeling the cold, moistbreezes; and the rainfall lessened after a time, and hewent back to the car and started it. Greg was still unconscious, he noted, as he backed out. This might not be good.

He took a pill to keep himself alert and he ate somerations as he drove along. The rain continued to comedown, but gently. It fell all the way across Ohio, and thesky remained overcast. He crossed into West Virginia atthe place called Parkersburg, and then he veered slightlyto the north, going by the old Rand-McNally he'd beenfurnished. The gray day went away into black night, andhe drove on.

There were no more of the dark bats around to trouble him, but he passed several more craters and the radiation gauge rose, and at one point a pack of huge wilddogs pursued him, baying and howling, and they ranalong the road and snapped at his tires and barked andyammered and then fell back. There were some tremorsbeneath his wheels as he passed another mountain thatspewed forth bright clouds to his left and made a kind ofthunder. Ashes fell, and he drove through them. A flashflood splashed over him, and the engine sputtered anddied, twice; but be started it again each time and pushedon ahead, the waters lapping about his sides. Then hereached higher, drier ground, apd riflemen tried to bar hisway. He strafed them and hurled a grenade and droveon by. When the darkness went away and the dim mooncame up, dark birds circled him and dove down at him,but he ignored them and after a time they, too, weregone.

He drove until he felt tired again, and then he ate somemore and took another pill. By then he was in Pennsylvania, and he felt that if Greg would only come aroundbe would turn him loose and trust him with the driving.

He halted twice to visit the latrine, and he tugged at thegolden band in bis pierced left ear, and he blew his noseand scratched himself. Then he ate more rations andcontinued on.

He began to ache, in all his muscles, and he wanted tostop and rest, but he was afraid of the things that mightcome upon him if he did.

As he drove through another dead town, the rainsstarted again. Not hard, just a drizzly downpour, coldlooking and sterile—a. brittle, shiny screen. He stoppedin the middle of the road before the thing he'd almostdriven into, and he stared at it.

He'd thought at first that it was more black lines in thesky. He'd halted because they'd seemed to appear toosuddenly.

It was a spider's web, strands thick as his arm, strungbetween two leaning buildings.

He switched on his forward flame and began to burn it.

When the fires died, he saw the approaching shape,coming down from high above.

It was a spider, larger than himself, rushing to checkthe disturbance.

He elevated the rocket launchers, took careful aim andpierced it with one white-hot missile.

It still hung there in the trembling web and seemed tobe kicking.

He turned on the flame again, for a full ten seconds,and when it subsided there was an open way before him.

He rushed through, wide awake and alert once again,his pains forgotten. He drove as fast as he could, tryingto forget the sight.

Another mountain smoked ahead and to his right, butit did not bloom, and few ashes descended as he passed it.

He made coffee and drank a cup. After awhile it wasmorning, and he raced toward it XI He was stuck in the mud, somewhere in eastern Pennsylvania, and cursing. Greg was looking very pale. The sunwas nearing midheaven. He leaned back and closed hiseyes. It was too much.

He slept.

He awoke and felt worse. There was a banging on theside of the car. His hands moved toward fire-control andwing-control, automatically, and his eyes sought thescreens.

He saw an old man, and there were two younger menwith him. They were armed, but they stood right beforethe left wing, and he knew he could cut them- in half inan instant.

He activated the outside speaker and the audio pickup.

"What do you want?" he asked, and his voice crackledforth."You okay?" the old man called.

"Not really. You caught me sleeping."

"You stuck?"

"That's about the size of it."

"I got a mule team can maybe get you out. Can't get*em here before tomorrow morning, though."

"Great!" said Tanner. "I'd appreciate it"

"Where you from?"

"L.A."

"What's that?"

"Los Angeles. West Coast."

There was some murmuring, then, "You're a long wayfrom home, mister."

"Don't I know it.—Look, if you're serious about thosemules, I'd appreciate bell out of it. It's an emergency."

"What kind of?"

"You know about Boston?"

"I know it's there."

"Well, people are dying up that way of the plague.I've got drugs here can save them, if I can get through."

There were some more murmurs, then, "We'll helpyou. Boston's pretty important, and we'll get you loose.Want to come back with us?"

"Where? And who are you?"

"The name's Samuel Potter, and these are my sons,Roderick and Caliban. My farm's about six miles off.You're welcome to spend the night."

"It's not that I don't trust you," said Tanner. "It's justthat I don't trust anybody, if you know what I mean. I'vebeen shot at too much recently to want to take thechance."

"Well, how about if we put up our guns? You're probably able to shoot us from there, ain't you?"

"That's right."

"So we're taking a chance just standing here. We'rewilling to help you. We'd stand to lose if the Bostontraders stopped coming to Albany. If there's someoneelse inside, he can cover you."

"Wait a minute," said Tanner, and he opened the door.

The old man stuck out his hand, and Tanner took itand shook it, also his sons'.

"Is there any kind of doctor around here?" he asked.

"In the settlement—about thirty miles north."

"My partner's hurt. I think he needs a doctor." Hegestured back toward the cab.

Sam moved forward and peered within."Why's he all trussed up like that?""He went off his rocker, and I had to clobber him. Itied him up, to be safe. But now he doesn't look so good."

"Then let's whip up a stretcher and get him onto itYou lock up tight then, and my boys'll bring him backto the house. We'll send someone for the Doc. You don'tlook so good yourself. Bet you'd like a bath and a shaveand a clean bed."

"I don't feel so good,** Tanner said. "Let's make thatstretcher quick, before we need two."

He sat upon the fender and smoked while the Potterboys cut trees and stripped them. Waves of fatiguewashed over him, and he found it hard to keep his eyesopen. His feet felt very far away, and his shouldersached. The cigarette fell from his fingers, and he leanedbackward on the hood.

Someone was slapping his leg.He forced his eyes open and looked down."Okay," Potter said. "We cut your partner loose andwe got him on the stretcher. Want to lock up and getmoving?"

Tanner nodded and jumped down. He sank almost upto his boot tops when he hit, but he closed the cab andstaggered toward the old man in buckskin.

They began walking across country, and after awhileit became mechanical.

Samuel Potter kept up a steady line of chatter as heled the way, rifle resting in the crook of his arm. Maybeit was to keep Tanner awake.

"It's not too far, son, and it'll be pretty easy going injust a few minutes now. What'd you say your name wasanyhow?"

"Hell," said Tanner."Beg pardon?""Hell. Hell's my name. Hell Tanner.'*Sam Potter chuckled. "That's a pretty mean name,mister. If it's okay with you, I'll introduce you to mywife and the youngest as 'Mister Tanner.* All right?"

"That's just fine," Tanner gasped, pulling his boots outof the mire with a sucking sound."We'd sure miss them Boston traders. I hope youmake it in time."