wt.theyearofthequietsun-第33节
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He followed a familiar route to the barracks where he'd lived with William and the civilian； swinging and dancing from side to side on the slippery surface because the car seemed to obey his every whim。 It would spin in a plete circle and e to rest with the nose pointing in the proper direction； it would slide sideways without threatening to topple； it would bite into the snow and leap forward with a minimum of slippage if just one wheel had a decent purchase。 He thought that four…wheel…drive electric cars should have been invented a century ago。
Saltus stopped in dismay at the barracks…at the place where the barracks had been。 He very nearly missed the site。 All the antiquated buildings had burned to their concrete foundations； nearly hiding them from sight。 He got out of the car to stare at the remains and at the lonely shadows cast by the winter sun。
Feeling depressed； Saltus drove over to E Street and turned north toward the recreation area。
He parked the car outside the fence surrounding the patio and prowled cautiously through the entranceway to scan the interior。 The unmarked snow was reassuring but it did not lull him into a false sense of security。 Rifle ready； pausing every few steps to look and listen and smell the wind； Saltus advanced to the tiled rim of the pool and looked down。 It was nearly empty； drained of water； and the diving board taken away。
Nearly empty： a half dozen long lumps huddled under the blanket of snow at the bottom； lumps the shape of men。 Two GI helmet liners lay nearby； recognizable by their shapes despite the covering snow。 A naked； frozen foot protruded through the blanket into the cold sunshine。
Saltus turned away； expelling a breath of bitter disappointment； he wasn't sure what he had expected after so long a time； but certainly not that…not the bodies of station personnel dumped into an uncovered grave。 The GI liners suggested their identities and suggested they had been dumped there by outsiders…by ramjets。 Survivors on station would have buried the bodies。
He remembered the beautiful image of Katrina in that pool…Katrina； nearly naked； scantily clad in that lovely； sexy swim suit…and himself chasing after her； wanting the feel of that wet and splendid body under his hands again and again。 She had teased him； run away from him； knowing what he was doing but pretending not to be aware： that added to the excitement。 And Chaney！ The poor out…gunned civilian sat up on the deck and burned with a green； suiphurous envy； wanting to but not daring to。 Damn； but that was a day to be remembered！
Arthur Saltus scanned the street and then climbed back into the car。
There were two large holes in the fence surrounding the station at the northwest corner。 Action from outside had caused both penetrations。 The shell of a burnedout truck had caused one of them； and that rusted shell still occupied the hole。 A mortar had torn through the other。 There was a shallow cavity in the earth directly beneath the second hole； a cavity scooped out by another exploding mortar round。 Snow…covered objects that might be the remains of men dotted the slope on both sides of the fence。 There was the recognizable hulk of a thoroughly demolished automobile。
Saltus probed the wreckage of the car； turning over wheels with shredded tires； poking among the jumble of machined parts； picking up to examine with mild wonder a windshield fashioned of transparent plastic so sturdy it had popped out of place and fallen undamaged several feet away from the hulk。 He pared it to the windshield of his own car； and found it to be identicaL The batteries had been carried away…or were entirely demolished； the little motor was a mass of fused metal。
As best he could； Saltus scraped snow from the ground in search of something to indicate that William Moresby had died here。 He thought it likely that William had found his car in the parking lot…a twin to his own vehicle…and drove it north to the scene of the skirmish。 To here。 It would be a hell of a note if the man had died before he got out of the car。 Old William deserved a better break than that。
He found nothing…not even a scrap of uniform in the debris； and for the moment that was encouraging。
Down the slope a cluster of tree stumps and a sagging billboard were visible。 Saltus went down to see them。 A snow…blanketed body lay smashed against a stump but that was all； there was no weapon with it。 The blown remains of one mortar lay around in front of the billboard and from the appearance of the piece； he would guess that a faulty shell had exploded within the tube； destroying the usefulness of the weapon and probably killing the operator。 There was no corpse here to back up that guess； unless it was the one hurled against the tree stump。 The second of the two mortars mentioned on the tape was missing…taken away。 The winners of this skirmish had to be the ramjets； they had picked up their remaining mortar and retired…or had penetrated the hole to invade the station。
Saltus picked his way back up the slope and walked through the hole in the fence。 The snow pattern dipped gracefully； following the rounded rough…bottomed contour of the cavity。 His foot turned on something unseen at the bottom of the hole and he struggled to save his balance。 A cold wind blew across the face of the slope； numbing his fingers and stinging his face。
He began the distasteful task of scraping snow off each of the fallen man…objects； brushing away just enough to catch a glimpse of the rotting cloth of the uniform。 The defenders had worn Army tans； and one of them still carried a GI dogtag around his neck； in another place he turned up a Corporal's stripes attached to a bit of sleeve； and not far away was an empty pair of shoes。 William Moresby's dress blues were not found。
An oversight nagged at him。
Saltus retraced his steps down the slope； annoyed at the oversight and annoyed again by the futility of it： he uncovered the remains of civilians wearing nondescript civilian clothing； and one yellow armband。 A faded black cross on a rotting patch of yellow goods meant nothing to him but he folded it away for later examination。 Katrina would want to see it。 The ramjets themselves were beyond identification； sixteen months of exposure had made them as unrecognizable as those other bodies above the fence line。 The only thing new he'd learned was that civilians were the bandits on the tape； civilians equipped with mortars and some kind of central organization…maybe the same group that had called in the Harry on Chicago。 Ramjets allied with the Chinese…or at least inviting their cooperation。
To Saltus the scene read civil war。
He stopped at the next thought； staring with hard surprise at the covered bodies。 Ramjets blowing Chicago…in retaliation？ Ramjets losing in Chicago twenty years ago； trapped behind their own wall； but striking back in harsh retaliation now？ Ramjets working with the Chinese； welded together by a mutual hatred of the white establishment？
He picked again at the body against the stump； but the color of the man's skin was lost。
Arthur Saltus climbed the slope。
The world was strangely silent and empty…deserted。 He'd seen no traffic on the distant highway nor on the nearer railroad； the sky was unmonly bare of aircraft。 He stayed continually on the alert for danger； but sighted no one； nothing…even animal tracks were missing from the snow。 Deserted world…or more likely； a concealed world。 That angry voice on the radio had ordered him to silence lest he betray his cover。
Saltus stayed only a few minutes longer on the cold upper slope； standing amid the debris of the smashed car。 He hoped to God that William had jumped clear before the mortar smashed in。 The old boy deserved at least a couple of whacks at the bandits before his doom prophets caught up to him。
He was finally convinced the Major had died there。
Saltus drove by the mess hail with little more than a passing glance。 Like the barracks； the wooden parts of the structure were burned to the concrete block foundation。 He thought it likely the ramjets had swept the station after the fence was breached； burning what was flammable and stealing or destroying the remainder。 It was a blessing that the lab had been built to withstand war and earthquake； or he would have emerged into a room open to the sky and climbed down from the vehicle into snow。 He hoped the bandits had long since starved to death…but at the same time remembered the pilfered stores in the shelter。
That bandit hadn't starved； but neither had he fed his fellows。 How had he gotten through the locked door？ He would need both keys and he would have to take them from William…but a direct hit on the car would have scattered the keys as thoroughly as the parts of the auto itself。 Assuming possession of the keys； why hadn't the bandit； thrown open the doors to his panions？ Why hadn't the stores been looted； cleaned out； the lab ransacked？ Was the man so selfish that he had fed only himself and let the rest go hang？ Perhaps。 But more than one pair of boots was missing。
Saltus turned a corner at a fast clip； skidding in the snow and then straightening his cou
