swirl of gray figures that swept around the three prisonofficials.
"Now," the warden went on, "it seems that you have something to say tome. Good enough. But why didn't you send word through your council,instead of roughing up guards, damaging property, yelling your heads offand generally behaving like a bunch of spoiled brats. Go on, tell me!Why?"
Someone's scream came clearly over the mike. "The world's coming to anend! They're leaving us here to die!"
"Yeah!" the mike picked up another voice. "How about that?"
Before the wordless, mindless roar could rise again, the warden barked,"Oh, hush up!" And they were quiet.
"My God," breathed Lansing.
"Now," Halloran's voice was easy, assured, "I want to make sure that allof you hear me. So, I'm coming out in the center of the yard. Rabbi PeteGoldsmid and Doc Slade insist on coming with me although," he chuckled,"I understand Squeaker Hanley's screaming for the doc to cut out hisgall bladder." A few of the men laughed. "All right, here I come. Andyou fellows behind me, keep off the wire. I don't want this mike to godead and have to yell my lungs out."
They saw the eddy of men around him move slowly through the broken gateand out of their sight.
"What will he tell them," muttered Knox.
"Whatever--they'll believe it," Court said. The courtyard before themwas now empty. He stared thoughtfully out the barred window, then said,"Think you could get to the gate office pretty soon, now--"
"No!" snarled Knox. "I want to see what happens to that guttyso-and-so!"
Lansing grinned nervously. "Somehow, captain, I feel it won't benecessary for us to sneak out of here."
* * * * *
They listened again while assorted thieves, murderers, rapists,men--save for an innocent few--whose hands were consistently raisedagainst their fellows' peace and property, heard their jailor tell themthat the end of their world, a world that many of them remembered butdimly, was coming to an end. The screaming broke out again when Halloranspoke of the Mars-bound ships, and, for a moment, the three in theoffice thought he had lost control. But the amplifiers prevailed andHalloran laughed and said, "Anyway, we're not going to Mars--"
"_You_ can go!"
The man who yelled that was apparently very close to the warden withinhis view, for they heard him say: "Chrisman, you're a fool--as usual!Would I bother to come out here and talk to you if I could go?"
That got them. That, they understood. If a guy didn't scram from a hotspot when he could ... well, then, he couldn't scram in the first place.So, the warden was stuck, just like they were.
Later, perhaps, a few of them might figure out why.
"Now, let's have no more interruptions," Halloran said. "_I_ don't thinkthere's any need to go. Neither does the doc, here, or the rabbi. We'reall staying--because the desert to the south of us has stopped thespread of this dust and it seems it can't cross the rivers, either. So,we're safe enough."
"But that's not true," groaned Lansing.
Court glanced at him. "Would you tell them different?" he said coldly.
"No--"
Halloran said, "Well, that's that. Life is a little difficult outsideand so the people out there want to try to get to Mars. Believe me,that's a trip I want someone else to make first. But if they think lifewill be easier on those deserts--why, let them go. But God helpthem--they'll need it."
He paused. Knox tried to catch Lansing's eye, but the scientist's facewas blank, unseeing.
"What do _we_ do?" This voice was not hysterical, just seriouslyquestioning.
"_You_ should do darned well. Life should be easy enough for _you_.You've got your own farms, your livestock, laundry, hospital,shops--everything a man can need. So, take over and run things to suityourselves."
A unanimous gasp whistled over the speaker. Then, they all cried justone word.
"Us?"
"Why not? Don't you think you can?"
Silence, broken by strange, wistful mutterings.
"I'd suggest this," Halloran said. "Let's follow our normal routinetonight--no lock-ups, of course--and tomorrow, you fellows take over.I'll help you in any way I can. But it will be _your_ job. Perhaps afterbreakfast tomorrow, you ought to have a mass meeting. Under thesupervision of your council, I'd say. You can't keep going without somekind of order, you know."
Again silence.
"My God," whispered Lansing, "he makes it all sound so _real_."
"Any questions?" Halloran asked.
"Hey, warden! How about the dames?"
"The ladies will join you tomorrow morning." He chuckled. "I imaginethey'll be able to handle you all right!"
A joyous roar.
"However," Halloran raised his voice, "I'd like to remind you fellowsthat a successful community needs ... _families_!"
There was a long quiet, then, broken finally by an inmate who asked,"Warden, how about the guys up on the Row?"
"Well," Halloran's voice lost all humor, "you can start ripping out thegas chamber whenever you're ready to. I'll see that you get the tools."
The swell of applause was so loud in the office that Court hastilyturned down the speaker's volume.
"All right," Halloran said when they had quieted down, "that's about it.You're free now, till supper-time. I'd suggest all of you start rightnow, thinking about your future--"
* * * * *
Outside the main gate, first Knox, then Lansing shook hands with thegray-faced warden.
"Trucks'll be in town at seven for your people," Knox muttered. He gavea windy sigh. "It's all fouled up. As usual. Damn it, we need peoplelike you, sir!"
Lansing looked at Halloran for a long time, trying to see behind themask of exhaustion. "I'm a mannerless fool," he said at last. "But Mr.Halloran, would you tell me what you're thinking? I mean, reallythinking? Even if it's rough on us!"
Halloran laughed softly. "I wasn't thinking about you at all, Dr.Lansing. I was--and am--regretting that what I told the men couldn't bethe truth. It's too bad they'll have so short a time. It would be veryinteresting to see what they would do with--_life_."
Knox scowled. "Seems like they haven't done much with it so far."
"Come along, general," Lansing said quietly. "You don't understand. Noneof us do. We never did."
THE END
Criminal Negligence Page 2
