Part 16 (1/2)
”Well, I was. I shouldn't have let you go out.”
”But the beacon had to be set.”
”Oh, but- You set it?”
”Of course. The Mother Thing was pleased.”
”I'm sure she would have been,” she said gravely.
”She was.”
”Can I do anything? Can I help you out of your suit?”
”Uh . . . no, not yet. Could you find me a drink of water?”
”Right away!”
She came back and held it for me-I wasn't as thirsty as I had thought; it made me a bit ill. She watched me for some time, then said, ”Do you mind if I'm gone a little while? Will you be all right?”
”Me? Certainly.” I didn't feel well, I was beginning to hurt, but there wasn't anything she could do.
”I won't be long.” She began clamping her helmet and I noticed with detached interest that she was wearing her own suit-somehow I had had the impression that she had been wearing Tim's.
I saw her head for the lock and realized where she was going and why. I wanted to tell her that the Mother Thing would rather not be inside here, where she might . . . where she might-I didn't want to say ”spoil” even to myself.
But Peewee was gone.
I don't think she was away more than five minutes. I had closed my eyes and I am not sure. I noticed the inner door open. Through it stepped Peewee, carrying the Mother Thing in her arms like a long piece of firewood. She didn't bend at all.
Peewee put the Mother Thing on the floor in the same position I had last seen her, then undamped her helmet and bawled.
I couldn't get up. My legs hurt too much. And my arms. ”Peewee . . . please, honey. It doesn't do any good.”
She raised her head. ”I'm all through. I won't cry any more.”
And she didn't.
We sat there a long time. Peewee again offered to help me out of my suit, but when we tried it, I hurt so terribly, especially my hands and my feet, that I had to ask her to stop. She looked worried. ”Kip ... I'm afraid you froze them.”
”Maybe. But there's nothing to do about it now.” I winced and changed the subject. ”Where did you find your suit?”
”Oh!” She looked indignant, then almost gay. ”You'd never guess. Inside Jock's suit.”
”No, I guess I wouldn't. The Purloined Letter.' ”
”The what?”
”Nothing. I hadn't realized that old Wormface had a sense of humor.”
Shortly after that we had another quake, a bad one. Chandeliers would have jounced if the place had had any and the floor heaved. Peewee squealed. ”Oh! That was almost as bad as the last one.”
”A lot worse, I'd say. That first little one wasn't anything.”
”No, I mean the one while you were outside.”
”Was there one then?”
”Didn't you feel it?”
”No.” I tried to remember. ”Maybe that was when I fell off in the snow.”
”You fell off? Kip!”
”It was all right. Oscar helped me.”
There was another ground shock. I wouldn't have minded, only it shook me up and made me hurt worse. I finally came out of the fog enough to realize that I didn't have to hurt.
Let's see, medicine pills were on the right and the codeine dispenser was farthest back- ”Peewee? Could I trouble you for some water again?”
”Of course!”
”I'm going to take codeine. It may make me sleep. Do you mind?”
”You ought to sleep if you can. You need it.”
”I suppose so. What time is it?”
She told me and I couldn't believe it. ”You mean it's been more than twelve hours?”
”Huh? Since what?”
”Since this started.”
”I don't understand, Kip.” She stared at her watch. ”It has been exactly an hour and a half since I found you-not quite two hours since the Mother Thing set off the bombs.”
I couldn't believe that, either. But Peewee insisted that she was right.
The codeine made me feel much better and I was beginning to be drowsy, when Peewee said, ”Kip, do you smell anything?”
I sniffed. ”Something like kitchen matches?”
”That's what I mean. I think the pressure is dropping, too. Kip ... I think I had better close your helmet-if you're going to sleep.”
”All right. You close yours, too?”
”Yes. Uh, I don't think this place is tight any longer.”