"Thanks."
"Room enough?"
"Plenty."
"You're a little girl."
"I weigh a hundred and thirty-two pounds and I'm five feet eight and that's not little."
"You're a little girl. Put the cup aside. Tilt your face up."
"Mmmm- Again. Please, again."
"A greedy little girl."
"Yes. Very greedy. Thank you, Hugh."
"Such pretty ones."
"They're my best feature. My face isn't much. But Karen's are prettier."
"A matter of opinion. Your opinion."
"Well- I won't argue. Scrunch over a little, dear. Dear Hugh-"
"All right?"
"Room enough. Wonderfully all right. And kiss me, too. Please?"
"Barbara, Barbara!"
"Hugh darling! I love you. Oh!"
"I love you, Barbara."
"Yes. Yes! Oh, please! Now!"
"Right now!"
"You all right, Barbie?"
"I've never been more all right. I've never been happier in my life."
"I wish that were true."
"It is true. Hugh darling, I'm utterly happy now and not at all afraid. I feel wonderful. Not even too warm."
"I'm dripping sweat on you."
"I don't mind. There are two drops on your chin and one on the end of your nose. And I'm so sweaty my hair is soaked. Doesn't matter. Hugh dearest, this is what I wanted. You. I don't mind dying-now."
"I do!"
"I'm sorry."
"No, no! Barbie hon, I didn't mind dying, before. Now suddenly life is worth living."
"Oh. I think it's the same feeling."
"Probably. But we aren't going to die, ii I can swing it. Want to move now?"
"If you want to. If you'll put your arm around me after we do."
"Try to stop me. But first I'm going to make us a long, tall drink. I'm thirsty again. And breathless."
"Me, too. Your heart is pounding."
"It has every excuse. Barbie girl, do you realize that I am more than twice your age? Old enough to be your father."
"Yes, Daddy."
"Why, you little squirt! Talk that way and I'll drink this all myself."
"Yes, Hugh. Hugh my beloved. But we are the same age
because we are going to die at the same time."
"Don't talk about dying. I'm going to find some way to outwit it."
"If anybody can, you will. Hugh, I'm not feeling morbid. I've looked it in the face and I'm no longer afraid-not afraid to die, not afraid to live. But- Hugh, I'd like one favor."
"Name it."
"When you give the pills to the others-the overdose-I don't want them."
"Uh... it might be needful."
"I didn't mean that I wouldn't; I will when you tell me to. But not when the others do. Not until you do."
"Mmm, Barbie, I don't plan on taking them."
"Then please don't make me take them."
"Well- I'll think about it. Now shut up. Kiss me."
"Yes, dear."
"Such long legs you have, Barbie. Strong, too."
"And such big feet."
"Quit fishing for compliments. I like your feet. You would look unfinished without them."
"Be inconvenient, too. Hugh, do you know what I would like to do?"
"Again?"
"No, no. Well, yes. But right now."
"Sleep? Go ahead, dear. I won't fall asleep."
"No, not sleep. I'm not ever going to sleep again. Never. I can't spare one minute we've got left. I was thinking that I would like to play contract again-as your partner."
"Well- We might be able to rouse Joe. Not the others; three grains of Seconal is pretty convincing. We could play three-handed."
"No, no. I don't want any company but you. But I so enjoyed playing, as your partner."
"You're a good partner, honey. The best. When you say 'by the book,' you mean it."
"Not 'the best.' I'm not in your class. But I wish that we had-oh, years and years !-so that I could get to be. And I wish the attack had held off ten minutes, so that you could have played that grand slam."
"Didn't need to. When you answered my bid I knew it was a lay-down." He squeezed her shoulders. "Three grand slams in one night."
"Three?"
"Didn't you consider that H-bomb a grand slam?"
"Oh. And then there was the second bomb, later."
"I was not counting the second bomb, it was too far away. If you don't know what I counted, I refuse to draw a diagram."
"Oh! In that case, there could easily be a fourth grand slam. I can't make another forcing bid; my bra is gone and-"
"Was that a forcing bid?"
"Of course it was. But you can make the next forcing bid. I'll spot it."
"Slow down! Three grand slams is maximum. A small slam, maybe-if I take another Dexedrine. But four grand slams? Impossible. You know how old I am."
"We'll see. I think we'll get a fourth."
At that moment the biggest slam of all hit them.
Chapter 3
The light went out, Grace Farnham screamed, Dr.-Livingstone--I-Presume wailed, Barbara was knocked silly and came to heaped over a steel bottle and disoriented by blackness and no floors or walls.
She groped around, found a leg, found Hugh attached to it. He was limp. She felt for his heartbeat, could not find it.
She shouted: "Hello! Hello! Anybody!" Duke answered, "Barbara?"
"Yes, yes!"
"Are you all right?"
"I'm all right. Hugh is hurt. I think he's dead."
"Take it easy. When I find my trousers, I'll light a match- if I can get off my shoulders. I'm standing on them."
"Hubert! Hubert!"
"Yes, Mother! Wait." Grace continued to scream; Duke alternated reassurances and cursing the darkness. Barbara felt around, slipped on loose oxygen bottles, hurt her shin, and found a flat surface. She could not tell what it was; it was canted steeply.
Duke called out, "Got 'em!" A match flared up, torch bright in oxygen-rich air.
Joe's voice said, "Better put that out. Fire hazard." A flashlight beam cut the gloom.
Barbara called out, "Joe! Help me with Hugh!"
"Got to see about lights."
"He may be dying."
"Can't do a thing without light." Barbara shut up, tried again to find heartbeat-found it and clutched Hugh's head, sobbing.
Lights came on in the men's bay; enough trickled in so that Barbara could make out her surroundings. The floor sloped about thirty degrees; she, Hugh, steel bottles, water tank, and other gear were jumbled in the lower corner. The tank had sprung a leak and was flooding the toilet space. She saw that, had the tilt been the other way, she and Hugh would have been buried under steel and water.
Minutes later Duke and Joe joined her, letting themselves down through the door. Joe carried a camp lamp. Duke said to Joe, "How are we going to move him?"
"We don't. It might be his spine."
"Still have to move him."
"We don't move him," Joe said firmly. "Barbara, have you moved him?"
"I took his head in my lap."
"Well, don't move him anymore." Joe looked his patient over, touching him gently. "I can't see any gross injuries," he decided. "Barbara, if you can stay put, we'll wait until he comes to. Then I can check his eyes for concussion, see if he can wiggle his toes, things like that."
"I'll hold still. Anybody else hurt?"
"Not to speak of," Duke assured her. "Joe thinks he's cracked some ribs and I wrenched a shoulder. Mother just got rolled into the corner of her bunk. Sis is soothing her. Sis is okay-a lump on her head where a can conked her. Are you all right?"