[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
to the military for the building of a massive, secret establishment.
"They mean the redoubt," Lori said.
"Yes," Doc sighed. "Right, child. They surely do."
There was nationwide outrage at this decision and protests by environmental
groups from all over the world. An attempt by Greenpeace to thwart the plans
ended in tragedy and the deaths of dozens of protestors. This taking of Acadia
was followed in the next months by the government's assuming control, through
the
Pentagon, of all national parks. Be warned all who come after& This is only
the beginning.
Doc Tanner rubbed absently at the scratched metal. "The times were changing,
friends," he said quietly. "Wasn't any use to block up the hall. The wheel was
in spin."
"No success like failure, Doc," Krysty said. "And failure's no damned success
at all."
Doc nodded. "He had it right, ma'am, and no mistake. And here's all that's
left.
Nature coming back and covering it all up."
"Surprised the military left this here," Ryan said, pointing at the plaque.
Page 27
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The old man sniffed despondently. "They'd got what they wanted here. Why
bother anymore?"
J.B. moved outside the rained shelter, peering down towards the water. "If
we're getting off this island today, we'd best start."
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Deathlands%20007%20-%20Dectra
%20Chain.html (51 of 276) [12/30/2004 2:00:50 PM]
d12
Ryan joined him. "Looks like it might not be that easy."
Chapter Seven
THE QUAKES THAT HAD SHIFTED the coast of Maine a hundred years ago had
destroyed the lower part of the military blacktop, reducing it to a corrugated
ribbon of weed-scattered rabble. The seven friends picked their way carefully
over it, nearing the rolling breakers of the sea. The closer they got to the
high-tide level, the more the mist-shrouded coast of the mainland seemed to
recede from them. Ryan's first guess had been a couple of miles of open water.
Now it looked like five. Maybe more.
"Don't want get caught night," Jak said, glancing up at the sky.
The bright sunlight had gone, vanishing behind a purplish haze of thin chem
clouds. Even as they all looked up, a piece of age-old nuke debris came
searing back into Earth's atmosphere, burning up in a dazzling golden crackle
of light.
Simultaneously there came a long, bone-quivering rumble of thunder, bouncing
off the rocky slope behind them. Without the sun, the fall colors of the trees
were oddly muted and dull.
"Be dark in about three hours," J.B. informed them, checking his wrist chron.
Like the others, he'd altered it as soon as they hit the outdoors, making sure
everyone had the right time. The only guide was the sun. If they ever hit any
sort of civilization they could alter the chrons to fit in with what they
called time there.
"Be pushed to find some way of getting across there in that time." Ryan
nibbled at a piece of rough skin on his thumb. "Wouldn't want to be stuck
halfway across.
Can't tell what kind of currents there are between the island and the land
there."
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Deathlands%20007%20-%20Dectra
%20Chain.html (52 of 276) [12/30/2004 2:00:50 PM]
d12
"Try and build boat and then sail at first dawning," Donfil suggested.
Ryan glanced up and down the boulder-strewn beach. "Like I said. Talk's cheap.
Action comes a lot more expensive. Don't see much to build a boat from along
here."
They agreed that they'd split up. Ryan would go west with Krysty and Donfil,
the other four would try east, scavenging along the desolate shoreline for
anything they might be able to use.
"Meet back here in an hour and a half," Ryan said, watching the cormorants
circling and dipping a quarter mile out.
THE APACHE KEPT breaking away from them to explore the wealth of rock pools
that fringed the long beach. "Man would not starve here," he said. "All kinds
food. Shellfish and weed."
"Better than self-heats?" Krysty asked.
"Anything's better than self-heats." Ryan grinned. "We can go back up the road
to the redoubt for the night. Mebbe cook up some sort of stew?"
"Easy," Donfil agreed.
But the first priority was to find something that would float. Anything.
Doc had once, months back, been talking to Ryan about a vacation he'd enjoyed
at the seaside with his wife, before the first trawling. Ryan recalled the old
Page 28
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
man mentioning the interest in what he'd called "beachcombing," scavenging the
shore for anything the storms might have washed up from its copious bounty.
Now, a century after Armageddon, there were few men left to sail the oceans.
And little for the hungry waters to feed on and cast up on the land.
The first stretch of exposed beach had nothing larger than a man's hand; only
a
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Deathlands%20007%20-%20Dectra
%20Chain.html (53 of 276) [12/30/2004 2:00:50 PM]
d12
few splintered pieces of wood. A long way up among the rocks they saw the
trunk of an immense pine, its end feathered and worn by the sea. But it was at
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]