That got their interest.
“It’ll be close,” Hardy warned. “We’ll get damned hungry before spring. But we’ve got a chance. We’ve even got medical supplies — not enough, but some — and Doc Valdemar’s clinic is set up and running.” Hardy paused for a moment. “Now for the bad news. Harvey Randall’s people have been looking over the dams and powerhouses above here. They can’t get them working again. Too much washed out. And out of the lists of stuff the engineering people have asked for, we don’t have a quarter of the supplies. It’ll be a while before we rebuild much of a civilization here.”
“Hell, we’re civilized,” Police Chief Hartman said. “Almost no crime, and we’ll have enough to eat, and we’ve got a doctor and a clinic and most of us have plumbing. What more do we need?”
“Electricity would be nice,” Harvey Randall said.
“Sure, but we can live without it,” Chief Hartman said. “Goddam. We can live till spring.”
And Harvey felt his joy. The journey to the Stronghold had been a terrible time: the end of the world passing in endless agony… and goddam! Listen to us now, talking like it isn’t enough just to be alive! I could have been turned away, sent down the road…
“I think I would express thanks in a more positive way,” Reverend Varley said. “We should be singing hosannas.” The minister’s expression was grim, in contrast to his words. “Of course the cost has been high. Perhaps, Chief, you have said it correctly after all—”
Senator Jellison cleared his throat to get their attention. The room fell silent.
“There’s a bit more news,” Jellison said. “We have a new claimant to the office of President of the United States. Hector Shorey.”
“Who the devil is Hector Shorey?” George Christopher demanded.
“Speaker of the House. Newly selected by the party caucus. I don’t even remember the House taking a formal vote. Still, his claim is the best we’ve heard, and the Colorado Springs government at least talks like it’s still in charge of the country.”
“I could do that myself,” Christopher said.
The Senator laughed. “No, George, you couldn’t. I could.”
“Who cares?” George Christopher was belligerent. “They can’t help us and they can’t jail us. They’d have to fight their way through all the other United States Governments, and even then they can’t get to us. Why do we give a damn what they say?”
Al Hardy said, “I point out that Colorado Springs probably has the largest military detachment surviving in this part of the world. The cadets at the Academy. The NORAD — North American Air Defense — command under Cheyenne Mountain. Ent Air Force Base. And at least a regiment of mountain troops.”
“They still can’t get to us,” Christopher insisted. “Understand, I’ve nothing against getting the United States going again. But I want to know the cost. Will they tell us to pay taxes?”
Jellison nodded. “Good question.” He looked around him. “Whatever happens, it can wait till spring, can’t it? Either we’ll be out of the woods by then, or we’ll be dead. Al says we won’t be dead.”
There were nods and murmurs of agreement.
“Now,” Jellison said. “I asked Harvey to come to this meeting because he has a proposal. Harvey has asked for another expedition Outside, to get more equipment that we’ll need for next spring.” He held up a paper that Harvey recognized as a list he and Brad Wagoner and Tim Hamner had prepared. “Mostly things we won’t need before spring.”
“But perishable, Senator,” Harvey said. “Electrical tools, transistors, components, electric motors… a lot of things that might still be useful even though they’ve been underwater. By spring they won’t be.”
“We lost four good men the last time we went Outside,” George Christopher said. “It’s bad out there.”
“Because we didn’t take enough men,” Harvey answered.
“We need to go in force. A big column won’t be attacked.” He was proud of his controclass="underline" He didn’t think anyone would guess from his voice how the thought of going out of this valley terrified him. He glanced at Maureen. She knew. She wasn’t looking at him, but she knew.
“And will use a lot of gasoline,” AI Hardy said. “As well as throw work schedules off. And you still might have to fight.”
“Well, we take enough men, it might not be so bad,” George Christopher said. “But I’m not going out with just a couple of trucks anymore. Harvey’s right. If we go, we go with a lot of people. Ten trucks, fifty to a hundred men.”
“I suppose we have to think of these things,” Reverend Varley said. His voice was wistful and sad.
“Yes, sir.” Christopher was determined. “Reverend, I want peace as much as you do, but I don’t know how to get it. Don’t forget Deke’s neighbors. The ones that got eaten.”
Reverend Varley shuddered. “I hadn’t,” he said.
There was a pause, and Harvey jumped in. “Tim’s worked with the phone book and maps,” he said. “We’ve located a scuba shop. It shouldn’t be under more than ten feet of water. We could dive in there and get the scuba gear—”
“What are you going to use for air?” Steve Cox demanded.
“We can build a compressor,” Harvey said. “That’s not hard to design.”
“Might not be hard to design, but without electricity it’s going to be hard to build,” Joe Henderson said. He had owned the filling station in town, and was now helping Ray Christopher set up a blacksmith and mechanic shop.
“Let me name some other things we need,” Harvey said. “Machine tools. Lathes, drill presses, all kinds of tools, and we’ve located most of them — on the map, that is. And we’ll need them, one day.”
Henderson smiled wistfully. “I could sure use some good tools,” he said.
“Generator wire,” Harvey continued. “Bearings. Spare parts for our transport vehicles. Electrical wire.”
“Stop,” Henderson said. “I give up. Let’s go out.”
“Al, could we spare fifty men for a week?” Jellison asked.
Hardy looked unhappy. “Eileen?” he called. She came in from another room. “Get me those manpower trade-offs, please.”
“Right.” She flashed Harvey one of her sunburst smiles before she left. Eileen Hancock Hamner had been wrong: Good administrators were needed even after Hammerfall. Al Hardy often told the Senator that she was the most useful person in the Stronghold. Strong backs, farmers, riflemen, even mechanics and engineers weren’t so hard to find; but someone who could coordinate all that effort was worth her weight in gold.
Or in black pepper. Hardy scowled. He didn’t like this expedition; it was an unnecessary risk. If Randall had his way… Was Randall still chasing the blue van and the men who had murdered his wife? At least he’d stopped talking about it…
“While she’s getting that,” Chief Hartman said, “let me put in a nickel’s worth. We can spare fifty men for a week if nobody comes after us while they’re gone. Fifty men and rifles is a big part of our strength, Senator. I’d like to be sure nobody’s going to attack us before I go along with sending that many out at once.”
“I can go along with that,” Mayor Seitz said. “And maybe we send a patrol out through Trouble Pass before we go. Just to see if anybody’s coming that way.”
“Harry’s due back from a sweep in a day or so,” Senator Jellison said. “And Deke’s coming within the hour. We’ll find out what things are like Outside before we make any final decisions. George, you got anything to say about this?”
Christopher shook his head. “Either way suits me. If things aren’t too bad out there, if there’s nobody just waiting for us to send out a big party so they can jump us, then sure, we can go.” He fell silent and stared at the wall, and they all knew what he was thinking. George Christopher didn’t want to know what went on Outside. No one else did either. It just made things harder, to know of the chaos and death and starvation a few miles away while they were safe in their valley.