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.Police held back the rumbling crowds and beat out a path forMorriss and the two with him.Already a thick partition of cloudytransite had moved down, blocking off the section of the city that wasthreatened by deluge.Morriss shepherded Lucky and Bigman through a large door.The noise of thecrowd muffled and faded behind them.Inside the building a man steppedhastily toward Morriss."Dr.Morriss ------ " he began.Morriss looked up and snapped out hasty introduc-tions."LymanTurner, chief engineer.David Starr of theCouncil.Bigman Jones."Then, at some signal from another part of the room, he dashed off, his heavyPage 21 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlbody making surprising speed.He called out over his shoulder as hestarted, "Turner will take care of you two."Turner yelled,, "Just a minute, Dr.Morriss!" but the yell went unheard.Lucky gestured to Bigman, and the little Martian raced after the Venusiancouncilman."Is he going to bring Dr.Morriss back?" asked Turner worriedly, stroking arectangular box he carried suspended from a strap over one shoulder.He had agaunt face and red-brown hair, a prominently hooked nose, a scattering offreckles, and a wide mouth.There was trouble in his face."No," said Lucky."Morriss may be needed out there.I just gave my friend thehigh sign to stick closely to him.""I don't know what good that will do," muttered the engineer."I don't knowwhat good anything will do." He put a cigarette to his mouth and absently heldone out to Lucky.Lucky's refusal went unnoticed for a few moments, andTurner stood there, holding the plastic container of smokes at arm's length,lost in a thoughtful world of his own.49Lucky said, "They're evacuating the threatened sec-tor, I suppose?"Turner took back his cigarettes with a start, then puffed strongly at the onebetween his lips.He dropped it and pressed it out with the sole of his shoe."They are," he said, "but I don't know." and his voice faded out.Lucky said, "The partition is safely across the city, isn't it?""Yes, yes," muttered the engineer.Lucky waited a moment, then said, "But you're not satisfied.Whatis it you were trying to tell Dr.Morriss?"The engineer looked hastily at Lucky, hitched at the black box he carried andsaid, "Nothing.Forget it."They were off by themselves in a corner of the room.Men were entering now,dressed in pressure suits with the helmets removed, mopping perspiringforeheads.Parts of sentences drifted to their ears:".not more than three thousand people left.We're using all theinterlocks now."".can't get to him.Tried everything.His wife is on the etherics now,pleading with him.""Darn it, he's got the lever in his hand.All he has to do is pull it andwe're.""If we could only get close enough to blast him down! If we were only sure hewouldn't see us first and."Turner seemed to listen to all of it with a grisly fascination, but heremained in the corner.He lit another cigarette and ground it out.He burst out savagely, "Look at that crowd out there.It's fun to them.Excitement! I don't know what to do.I tell you, I don't." He hitched theblack box he carried into a more comfortable position and held itclose."What is that?" asked Lucky peremptorily.Turner looked down, stared at thebox as though he were seeing it for the first time, then said, "It'smy com-puter.A special portable model I designed myself." For amoment pride drowned the worry in his voice."There's not another one in thegalaxy like it.I always50carry it around.That's how I know- ------ " And he stopped again.Lucky said in a hard voice."All right, Turner, what do you know? I want youto start talking.Now!"The young councilman's hand came lightly to rest upon the engineer's shoulder,and then his grip began to tighten just a bit.Turner looked up, startled, and the other's calm, brown eyes held him."What'sPage 22 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlyour name again?" he said."I'm David Starr."Turner's eyes brightened."The man they call 'Lucky' Starr?""That's right
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