The room plunged into darkness. Hendricks got up and made his way past the curtain, into the kitchen. And stopped, rigid.
Rudi stood against the wall, his face white and gleaming. His mouth opened and closed but no sounds came. Klaus stood in front of him, the muzzle of his pistol in Rudis stomach. Neither of them moved. Klaus, his hand tight around the gun, his features set. Rudi, pale and silent, spread-eagled against the wall.
What Hendricks muttered, but Klaus cut him off.
Be quiet, Major, Come over here. Your gun. Get out your gun.
Hendricks drew his pistol. What is it?
Cover him. Klaus motioned him forward. Beside me. Hurry!
Rudi moved a little, lowering his arms. He turned to Hendricks, licking his lips. The whites of his eyes shone wildly. Sweat dripped from his forehead, down his cheeks. He fixed his gaze on Hendricks. Major, hes gone insane. Stop him. Rudis voice was thin and hoarse, almost inaudible.
Whats going on? Hendricks demanded.
Without lowering his pistol Klaus answered. Major, remember our discussion? The Three Varieties? We knew about One and Three. But we didnt know about Two. At least, we didnt know before. Klauss fingers tightened around the gun butt. We didnt know before, but we know now.
He pressed the trigger. A burst of white heat rolled out of the gun, licking around Rudi.
Major, this is the Second Variety.
Tasso swept the curtain aside. Klaus! What did you do?
Klaus turned from the charred form, gradually sinking down the wall onto the floor. The Second Variety, Tasso. Now we know. We have all three types identified. The danger is less. I
Tasso stared past him at the remains of Rudi, at the blackened, smoldering fragments and bits of cloth. You killed him.
Him? It, you mean. I was watching. I had a feeling but I wasnt sure. At least, I wasnt sure before. But this evening I was certain. Klaus rubbed his pistol butt nervously. Were lucky. Dont you understand? Another hour and it might
You were certain? Tasso pushed past him and bent down, over the steaming remains on the floor. Her face became hard. Major, see for yourself. Bones. Flesh.
Hendricks bent down beside her. The remains were human remains. Seared flesh, charred bone fragments, part of a skull. Ligaments, viscera, blood. Blood forming a pool against the wall.
No wheels, Tasso said calmly. She straightened up. No wheels, no parts, no relays. Not a claw. Not the Second Variety. She folded her arms. Youre going to have to be able to explain this.
Klaus sat down at the table, all the color drained suddenly from his face. He put his head in his hands and rocked back and forth.
Snap out of it. Tassos fingers closed over his shoulder. Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?
He was frightened, Hendricks said. All this, the whole thing, building up around us.
Maybe.
What, then? What do you think?
I think he may have had a reason for killing Rudi. A good reason.
What reason?
Maybe Rudi learned something.
Hendricks studied her bleak face. About what? he asked.
About him. About Klaus.
Klaus looked up quickly. You can see what shes trying to say. She thinks Im the Second Variety. Dont you see, Major? Now she wants you to believe I killed him on purpose. That Im
Why did you kill him, then? Tasso said.
I told you. Klaus shook his head wearily. I thought he was a claw. I thought I knew.
Why?
I had been watching him. I was suspicious.
Why?
I thought I had seen something. Heard something. I thought I He stopped.
Go on.
We were sitting at the table. Playing cards. You two were in the other room. It was silent. I thought I heard himwhirr.
There was silence.
Do you believe that? Tasso said to Hendricks.
Yes. I believe what he says.
I dont. I think he killed Rudi for a good purpose. Tasso touched the rifle resting in the corner of the room. Major
No. Hendricks shook his head. Lets stop it right now. One is enough. Were afraid, the way he was. If we kill him well be doing what he did to Rudi.
Klaus looked gratefully up at him. Thanks. I was afraid. You understand, dont you? Now shes afraid, the way I was. She wants to kill me.
No more killing. Hendricks moved toward the end of the ladder. Im going above and try the transmitter once more. If I cant get them were moving back toward my lines tomorrow morning.
Klaus rose quickly. Ill come up with you and give you a hand.
THE NIGHT AIR was cold. The earth was cooling off. Klaus took a deep breath, filling his lungs. He and Hendricks stepped onto the ground, out of the tunnel. Klaus planted his feet wide apart, the rifle up, watching and listening. Hendricks crouched by the tunnel mouth, tuning the small transmitter.
Any luck? Klaus asked presently.
Not yet.
Keep trying. Tell them what happened.
Hendricks kept trying. Without success. Finally he lowered the antenna. Its useless. They cant hear me. Or they hear me and wont answer. Or
Or they dont exist.
Ill try once more. Hendricks raised the antenna. Scott, can you hear me? Come in!
He listened. There was only static. Then, still very faintly
This is Scott.
His fingers tightened. Scott! Is it you?
This is Scott.
Klaus squatted down. Is it your command?
Scott, listen. Do you understand? About them, the claws. Did you get my message? Did you hear me?
Yes. Faintly. Almost inaudible. He could hardly make out the word.
You got my message? Is everything all right at the bunker? None of them have got in?
Everything is all right.
Have they tried to get in?
The voice was weaker.
No.
Hendricks turned to Klaus. Theyre all right.
Have they been attacked?
No. Hendricks pressed the phone tighter to his ear. Scott, I can hardly hear you. Have you notified the Moon Base? Do they know? Are they alerted?
No answer.
Scott! Can you hear me?
Silence.
Hendricks relaxed, sagging. Faded out. Must be radiation pools.
Hendricks and Klaus looked at each other. Neither of them said anything. After a time Klaus said, Did it sound like any of your men? Could you identify the voice?
It was too faint.
You couldnt be certain?
No.
Then it could have been
I dont know. Now Im not sure. Lets go back down and get the lid closed.
They climbed back down the ladder slowly, into the warm cellar. Klaus bolted the lid behind them. Tasso waited for them, her face expressionless.
Any luck? she asked.
Neither of them answered. Well? Klaus said at last. What do you think, Major? Was it your officer, or was it one of them?
I dont know.
Then were just where we were before.
Hendricks stared down at the floor, his jaw set. Well have to go. To be sure.
Anyhow, we have food here for only a few weeks. Wed have to go up after that, in any case.
Apparently so.
Whats wrong? Tasso demanded. Did you get across to your bunker? Whats the matter?
It may have been one of my men, Hendricks said slowly. Or it may have been one of them. But well never know standing here. He examined his watch. Lets turn in and get some sleep. We want to be up early tomorrow.
Early?
Our best chance to get through the claws should be early in the morning, Hendricks said.
THE MORNING WAS crisp and clear. Major Hendricks studied the countryside through his field glasses.
See anything? Klaus said.
No.
Can you make out our bunkers?
Which way?
Here. Klaus took the glasses and adjusted them. I know where to look. He looked a long time, silently.
Tasso came to the top of the tunnel and stepped up onto the ground. Anything?
No. Klaus passed the glasses back to Hendricks. Theyre out of sight. Come on. Lets not stay here.
The three of them made their way down the side of the ridge, sliding in the soft ash. Across a flat rock a lizard scuttled. They stopped instantly, rigid.
What was it? Klaus muttered.
A lizard.
The lizard ran on, hurrying through the ash. It was exactly the same color as the ash.
Perfect adaptation, Klaus said. Proves we were right. Lysenko, I mean.
They reached the bottom of the ridge and stopped, standing close together, looking around them.
Lets go. Hendricks started off. Its a good long trip, on foot.
Klaus fell in beside him. Tasso walked behind, her pistol held alertly. Major, Ive been meaning to ask you something, Klaus said. How did you run across the David? The one that was tagging you.
I met it along the way. In some ruins.
What did it say?
Not much. It said it was alone. By itself.
You couldnt tell it was a machine? It talked like a living person? You never suspected?
It didnt say much. I noticed nothing unusual.
Its strange, machines so much like people that you can be fooled. Almost alive. I wonder where itll end.
Theyre doing what you Yanks designed them to do, Tasso said. You designed them to hunt out life and destroy. Human life. Wherever they find it.
Hendricks was watching Klaus intently. Why did you ask me? Whats on your mind?
Nothing, Klaus answered.
Klaus thinks youre the Second Variety, Tasso said calmly, from behind them. Now hes got his eye on you.
Klaus flushed. Why not? We sent a runner to the Yank lines and he comes back. Maybe he thought hed find some good game here.
Hendricks laughed harshly. I came from the UN bunkers. There were human beings all around me.
Maybe you saw an opportunity to get into the Soviet lines. Maybe you saw your chance. Maybe you
The Soviet lines had already been taken over. Your lines had been invaded before I left my command bunker. Dont forget that.
Tasso came up beside him. That proves nothing at all, Major.
Why not?
There appears to be little communication between the varieties. Each is made in a different factory. They dont seem to work together. You might have started for the Soviet lines without knowing anything about the work of the other varieties. Or even what the other varieties were like.
How do you know so much about the claws? Hendricks said.
Ive seen them. Ive observed them take over the Soviet bunkers.
You know quite a lot, Klaus said. Actually, you saw very little. Strange that you should have been such an acute observer.
Tasso laughed. Do you suspect me, now?
Forget it, Hendricks said. They walked on in silence.
Are we going the whole way on foot? Tasso said, after a while. Im not used to walking. She gazed around at the plain of ash, stretching out on all sides of them, as far as they could see. How dreary.
Its like this all the way, Klaus said.
In a way I wish you had been in your bunker when the attack came.
Somebody else would have been with you, if not me, Klaus muttered.
Tasso laughed, putting her hands in her pockets. I suppose so.
They walked on, keeping their eyes on the vast plain of silent ash around them.
THE SUN WAS setting. Hendricks made his way forward slowly, waving Tasso and Klaus back. Klaus squatted down, resting his gun butt against the ground.
Tasso found a concrete slab and sat down with a sigh. Its good to rest.
Be quiet, Klaus said sharply.
Hendricks pushed up to the top of the rise ahead of them. The same rise the Russian runner had come up, the day before. Hendricks dropped down, stretching himself out, peering through his glasses at what lay beyond.
Nothing was visible. Only ash and occasional trees. But there, not more than fifty yards ahead, was the entrance of the forward command bunker. The bunker from which he had come. Hendricks watched silently. No motion. No sign of life. Nothing stirred.
Klaus slithered up beside him. Where is it?
Down there. Hendricks passed him the glasses. Clouds of ash rolled across the evening sky. The world was darkening. They had a couple of hours of light left, at the most. Probably not that much.
I dont see anything, Klaus said.
That tree there. The stump. By the pile of bricks. The entrance is to the right of the bricks.
Ill have to take your word for it.
You and Tasso cover me from here. Youll be able to sight all the way to the bunker entrance.
Youre going down alone?
With my wrist tab Ill be safe. The ground around the bunker is a living field of claws. They collect down in the ash. Like crabs. Without tabs you wouldnt have a chance.
Maybe youre right.
Ill walk slowly all the way. As soon as I know for certain
If theyre down inside the bunker you wont be able to get back up here. They go fast. You dont realize.
What do you suggest?
Klaus considered. I dont know. Get them to come up to the surface. So you can see.
Hendricks brought his transmitter from his belt, raising the antenna. Lets get started.
Klaus signaled to Tasso. She crawled expertly up the side of the rise to where they were sitting.
Hes going down alone, Klaus said. Well cover him from here. As soon as you see him start back, fire past him at once. They come quick.
Youre not very optimistic, Tasso said.
No, Im not.
Hendricks opened the breech of his gun, checking it carefully. Maybe things are all right.
You didnt see them. Hundreds of them. All the same. Pouring out like ants.
I should be able to find out without going down all the way. Hendricks locked his gun, gripping it in one hand, the transmitter in the other. Well, wish me luck.
Klaus put out his hand. Dont go down until youre sure. Talk to them from up here. Make them show themselves.