Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven [259]
"And who watches out for them, Rick? They're our friends, and we promised. 'Visit our home,' we said. 'You'll have a native guide,' we said. You saw the way some of these farmers reacted. Russians are not popular just now."
"Neither are blacks."
"But you are. You're a space hero here! Rick, we promised them, and we came down in their capsule."
"Fine. You stay. I'll go. Dammit, Johnny, that power plant is important."
"I know that. Now, just remember where we're going, and tell me what anyone will think if he sees a black man's face from a distance. You can't play ambassador. Shut up and soldier, Colonel Delanty."
Rick was silent for a moment. Finally: "Yes, sir. I'd file a protest, but I don't know the Inspector General's address."
Baker clapped Delanty on the shoulder, then came back to Tim. If he'd caught him eavesdropping, he didn't mention it. "They want you inside," he said.
Hamner blinked. "Right." He went up to the ranch house, still holding Eileen's hand. The swelling of her pregnancy was just beginning to show, but it threw her balance off, so that she stumbled and had to brace herself against his arm.
Jellison, Hardy and Dan Forrester were in the living room. Forrester thrust papers encased in a Ziploc Bag into Tim's hands. "These are some more ideas I had. General Baker has copies too, but … "
"Right," Tim said.
"If you get a chance, scout out the west shore," Al Hardy said. "We'd like to know what's going on over there. And there's a list of stuff you might be able to use."
Tim looked at the papers in his hands. Through the plastic he could see only the top sheet. It was a list: iron oxide (found in paint stores, called red pigment, red spell; also found in the rust pile in automobile wrecking yards; or can be scraped from any rusty iron and ground finely); powdered aluminum (found in paint stores as a pigment); plaster of paris …
The list was long, and most of the items seemed useless. Tim knew better. He knew that on the other sheets in the stack were the means for turning those common items into deadly weapons. He looked at Forrester. "I'd hate to have you mad at me."
Forrester looked embarrassed. "I remember everything I read, and I read a lot."
"Have you ever done any skin diving?" Al Hardy asked.
Strange question. "Yes."
"Thought so," Hardy said. "Turns out you and Randall weren't the only ones to think of that idea. The fishing camp down by Porterville salvaged some scuba gear. They're selling it to us along with the boats." Hardy looked darkly at Forrester. "This expedition is expensive. You wouldn't believe how expensive. We had to trade for the boats, and they'll use gasoline we don't have enough of. And all those sacks of stuff you're taking with you. Good fertilizer … "
"I'm sorry," Forrester said.
"Sure," Hardy said. "Hamner, there are towns out in the valley. Under water. We're hoping either you or Baker will have a chance to do some salvage work. Both of you have scuba experience, but the only wet suit we could buy turns out to be small. I don't know if Baker can get into it, which means you may have to do the diving. There's another list in that packet of papers Forrester gave you. Stuff we need. But give his first priority."
"And we want information," Senator Jellison said. He sounded tired, and Tim thought he looked gray, but perhaps it was only the pale yellow kerosene light. "We've had short radio contact with people on the other side of the San Joaquin Sea," Jellison said. "There were oil fields out there, lots of them, and there seem to be survivors. They were friendly enough on the radio, but you never can tell. Anyway, find out what you can. Maybe the power-plant people know. We can use allies. Baker has authority to make deals. You don't, but you know conditions here better than Johnny does. He'll need your advice."
Tim looked thoughtful. "Everybody has assumed the people at the power plant will be friendly," he said. "What if they're not? I thought my observatory … anyway, what if they're not?"
"Baker has instructions on that," Jellison said. "Warn them about the