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about fuel and everything and wanting to see how my other aircraft were and
how everybody else was, so I hopped up top and ran down the wing to jump out
of the hole.
Just before I took my last step, my weight flipped that little Piper right
over and the other wing conked me on the back of the head. I was hanging there
on the edge of the hole, trying to get all the way up, and I knew I'd been
sliced pretty deep. I reach back there with one hand and feel this big flap of
scalp hanging down, and then I
start getting dizzy. I lost my grip and slid down underneath that plane. I was
scared I
was gonna make it fall on me again, so I just stayed put till somebody pulled
me out. Dang near bled to death.
You look a little pale.
Aren't you full of encouragement today.
Sorry.
You want to see it?
See it?
My wound!
Sure, I guess.
Ritz turned so Buck could see the back of his head. Buck grimaced. It was as
ugly an injury as he had seen. The huge flap that had been stitched into place
had been shaved, along with an extra one-inch border around the area.
No brain damage, they tell me, so I still got no excuse for bein' crazy.
Buck filled him in on his dilemma and that he needed to get to Minneapolis
before the GC did something stupid with Chloe. I'm gonna need you to
recommend somebody, Ken. I can't wait till tomorrow.
The heck I'll recommend somebody else, Ken said. He unhooked the IV and
yanked the tape off.
Slow down, Ken. I can't let you do this. You've got to get a clean bill of
health before
Forget me, will ya? I may have to go slow, but we both know if there's no
brain trauma, there's little danger I'm gonna hurt myself worse. I'll be a
little uncomfortable, that's all. Now come on, help me get dressed and get out
of here.
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I appreciate this, but really
Williams, if you don't let me do this, I'm gonna hate you for the rest of my
life.
I sure wouldn't want to be responsible for that.
There was no way to sneak out. Buck put his arm around Ken and tucked his hand
in Ken's armpit. They moved as quickly as possible, but a male nurse came
running.
Whoa! He's not allowed out of bed! Help! Someone! Get his doctor!
This ain't prison, Ken called out. I signed in, and I'm checkin' out!
They were headed through the lobby when a doctor hurried toward them. The girl
at the desk summoned her supervisor. Buck pleaded with his eyes. The
supervisor glared at him but stepped directly in front of the doctor, and he
stumbled trying to avoid her. I'll handle this, she said.
The doctor left with a suspicious look, and the candy striper was sent to the
pharmacy to get Ken's prescriptions. The supervisor whispered, Being a
believer doesn't guarantee you're not stupid. I'm making this happen, but it
had better be
necessary.
Buck nodded his thanks.
Once in the Rover, Ken sat still, gently cradling his head in his fingers.
You OK?
Buck asked.
Ritz nodded. Run me by Palwaukee. I got a bag of stuff they're keepin' for
me. And we've got to get to Waukegan.
Waukegan?
Yeah. My Learjet got blown around over there, but it's OK. Only problem is,
the hangars are gone. Their fuel tanks are fine, they tell me. One problem,
though.
I'll bite.
Runways.
What about'em?
Apparently they don't exist anymore.
Buck was cruising as quickly as he could manage. One advantage of no roads was
that he could drive from one place to another as the crow flies. Can you take
off in a Learjet without pavement beneath you?
Never had to worry about it before. We'll find out though, won't we?
Ritz, you're crazier than I am.
That'll be the day. Every time I'm with you I'm sure you're gonna get me
killed.
Ritz fell silent for a moment. Then, Speakin' of getting killed, you know I
wasn't just calling you because I needed work.
No?
I read your article. That 'wrath of the Lamb' thing in your magazine.
What did you think?
Wrong question. It isn't what I thought when I read it, which frankly wasn't
much.
I mean, I've always been impressed with your writing.
I didn't know that.
So sue me, I didn't want you to get the big head. Anyway, I didn't like any
of the theories you came up with. And no, I didn't believe we were going to
suffer the wrath of the Lamb. But what you ought to be asking is what do I
think about it now?
All right. Shoot.
Well, a guy would have to be a fool to think the first worldwide earthquake
in the history of mankind was a coincidence, after you predicted it in your
article.
Hey, I didn't predict it. I was totally objective.
I know. But you and I talked about this stuff before, so I knew where you
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were
comin' from. You made it look like all those Bible scholar guys were just
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