Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven [231]
Jellison nodded. "Good question." He looked around him. "Whatever happens, it can wait till spring, can't it? Either we'll be out of the woods by then, or we'll be dead. Al says we won't be dead."
There were nods and murmurs of agreement.
"Now," Jellison said. "I asked Harvey to come to this meeting because he has a proposal. Harvey has asked for another expedition Outside, to get more equipment that we'll need for next spring." He held up a paper that Harvey recognized as a list he and Brad Wagoner and Tim Hamner had prepared. "Mostly things we won't need before spring."
"But perishable, Senator," Harvey said. "Electrical tools, transistors, components, electric motors … a lot of things that might still be useful even though they've been underwater. By spring they won't be."
"We lost four good men the last time we went Outside," George Christopher said. "It's bad out there."
"Because we didn't take enough men," Harvey answered. "We need to go in force. A big column won't be attacked." He was proud of his control: He didn't think anyone would guess from his voice how the thought of going out of this valley terrified him. He glanced at Maureen. She knew. She wasn't looking at him, but she knew.
"And will use a lot of gasoline," Al Hardy said. "As well as throw work schedules off. And you still might have to fight."
"Well, we take enough men, it might not be so bad," George Christopher said. "But I'm not going out with just a couple of trucks anymore. Harvey's right. If we go, we go with a lot of people. Ten trucks, fifty to a hundred men."
"I suppose we have to think of these things," Reverend Varley said. His voice was wistful and sad.
"Yes, sir." Christopher was determined. "Reverend, I want peace as much as you do, but I don't know how to get it. Don't forget Deke's neighbors. The ones that got eaten."
Reverend Varley shuddered. "I hadn't," he said.
There was a pause, and Harvey jumped in. "Tim's worked with the phone book and maps," he said. "We've located a scuba shop. It shouldn't be under more than ten feet of water. We could dive in there and get the scuba gear—"
"What are you going to use for air?" Steve Cox demanded.
"We can build a compressor," Harvey said. "That's not hard to design."
"Might not be hard to design, but without electricity it's going to be hard to build," Joe Henderson said. He had owned the filling station in town, and was now helping Ray Christopher set up a blacksmith and mechanic shop.
"Let me name some other things we need," Harvey said. "Machine tools. Lathes, drill presses, all kinds of tools, and we've located most of them—on the map, that is. And we'll need them, one day."
Henderson smiled wistfully. "I could sure use some good tools," he said.
"Generator wire," Harvey continued. "Bearings. Spare parts for our transport vehicles. Electrical wire."
"Stop," Henderson said. "I give up. Let's go out."
"Al, could we spare fifty men for a week?" Jellison asked.
Hardy looked unhappy. "Eileen?" he called. She came in from another room. "Get me those manpower trade-offs, please."
"Right." She flashed Harvey one of her sunburst smiles before she left. Eileen Hancock Hamner had been wrong: Good administrators were needed even after Hammerfall. Al Hardy often told the Senator that she was the most useful person in the Stronghold. Strong backs, farmers, riflemen, even mechanics and engineers weren't so hard to find; but someone who could coordinate all that effort was worth her weight in gold.
Or in black pepper. Hardy scowled. He didn't like this expedition; it was an unnecessary risk. If Randall had his way … Was Randall still chasing the blue van and the men who had murdered his wife? At least he'd stopped talking about it …
"While she's getting that," Chief Hartman said, "let me put in a nickel's worth. We can spare fifty men for a week if nobody comes after us while they're gone. Fifty men and rifles is a big part of our strength, Senator.