Cretaceous Sea

hell. . . the whole damned universe is expanding. This particular spot is in outer space five seconds downwhen.'

'Then how did you plan to find your way back to our time?'

'I already explained that,' said Joe. 'Those coordi-nates are fixed because of temporal linkage. We can't go downwhen, it'd be suicide.'

'There's another time machine,' said Con. 'We found it on top of the mesa.'

'That's a probe,' replied Joe. 'It's not made for peo-ple. We're stuck here.'

'Okay, okay, we can't leave this time. I'll take your word for it,' said Rick. 'But that doesn't mean we can't leave this spot. This meteor doesn't destroy the world. Some life survived, or we wouldn't be here. It's just we're standing on one of the worst spots—out at sea only twelve hundred miles from ground zero.' A frenzied look of hope came to Rick's face as he paced and talked. 'We'll leave this place in the plane. Make our way to the southern hemisphere —southern Africa or someplace. Things will be tough, but we'll be resourceful. We can make it! Joe, you provision the plane. Con, come with me. We've got to tell the others.' Without waiting for their agreement, Rick started back toward camp. Joe looked at Con. 'He's flipped out!'

Con looked back with anguished eyes. 'Joe, we've got to help him.' She turned and hurried after Rick, leaving Joe alone in thought. When she reached the dining pa-vilion, James, Pandit, her father, and Sara were there, staring at Rick with puzzled expressions while he paced back and forth as he talked.

'... only the necessities and all your clothing,' Rick was saying. 'It's going to get cold. Hurry, there's not a lot of time.'

No one moved. 'John,' said Sara, 'what's going on?'

'Look here,' said John Greighton. 'We're supposed to abandon everything on your say-so? All because of some theory?'

'It's not a theory!' said Rick hotly. 'The meteor strike is a fact. We've known about it for nearly a century.'

'Then why doesn't Pete know about it?' asked Greigh-ton. 'Why should I listen to you?'

'You know, as well as I do, that Green's a fraud,' said Rick. 'He has no idea where he is.' Green emerged from his quarters, a look of rage on his face. 'I've heard enough,' he said in a cold, hard voice. 'Who the hell do you think you are to frighten my guests?'

'Your game's up,' replied Rick. 'You're not going to conquer anything. In a few hours, this island and the time machine will be destroyed. Too bad you didn't ask Sam where you were going before you bumped him off.'

Green pulled out a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at Rick. 'You goddamn nosy sneak!' he said, his voice dripping with venom. 'You'll learn what it means to cross me!' Green was taking aim at Rick's stomach when Con darted in front of Rick to shield him. 'You'll have to shoot me, too,' she said.

'Move out of the way,' ordered Green.

'No,' said Con firmly.

Green did not lower his pistol as Con expected. In-stead, he raised it until it pointed directly at her face. She looked at the eyes behind the gun barrel. She could find no reluctance in them. He's weighing if it's worth it, she realized. If he believes it's truly over, he'll shoot. Green's cold eyes confirmed her fears. Still, Con held her ground. She looked away to gaze upon the trees that glowed with morning sunlight. This is the last moment of my life, she thought.

'Peter, let's not be hasty,' said Joe, as he approached the group. 'I think you and I and John should leave in the probe. The kid's on to something. He may be right. Probably is.'

'I have business to finish first,' replied Green.

'You don't want to shoot your partner's daughter. Leave her here.'

'I only want him.'

Con flung her arms back, grasping Rick around the waist.

'For God's sake, Pete,' said Greighton. 'Put the gun away.' Green slowly lowered his gun. 'He's lucky I'm a for-giving man. John, as a precaution, I think we should go.'

Sara clutched Greighton. 'Don't leave me, John!'