Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven [300]
"Where did that come from?" Rick asked. "Somebody up here collect Steuben glass?"
Wagoner shrugged. "Don't know. Right classy whale, isn't it?" Wagoner had a large bandage around his forehead. It looked impressive, like a scene from The Red Badge of Courage. He didn't tell people about it though: that he'd slung a thermit grenade with too much vigor and fallen onto a rock and rolled downhill until he thought he was going to be gassed, but he wasn't. He was pretty well gassed now, on bourbon and water. He told Rick, "At least we won't ever have to do that again." He'd been saying that a lot.
Happiness was contagious. Rick wanted to join in. If only he could quit worrying about that damned power plant, and about Johnny. And forget El Lago. He decided to go over to the hospital and do some honest work. He wouldn't be spoiling anybody's party at the hospital. As he made his way toward the door, Tim Hamner came in, a girl at each arm and a crowd around him all trying to talk at once.
Rick shoved toward Hamner. The noise level doubled. Hamner kept moving toward the back of the hall, toward the Mayor's office, and Rick followed. A number of people shouted for silence, adding to the general noise level. Eileen Hamner saw Rick, slipped from under Tim's arm and came toward him. "There's something I have to tell you," she said.
Rick knew at once. It turned him cold with the chill of a man about to faint. "How did Johnny buy it?" he asked.
"Tim says saving their asses. That's all I know."
He felt his knees weaken, but he stayed stiffly upright. "I should have made him let me go," he said to nobody. Now there are three astronauts left in the world. "Does Maureen know?"
"Not yet. Where is she?"
"Last I saw, in the Mayor's office with her father." The Senator wasn't going to like this much either. "I'll come with you." He pushed through, making a way for both of them.
So Johnny was dead. Now everybody he loved was dead. The Hammer had got them all. He felt a crazy impulse to laugh: America's record was still perfect. Not one astronaut lost on space duty. "Saving their asses from what?" he demanded, but Eileen was too far away and the noise was too great.
Someone passed Tim a bottle. Scotch. This time he drank and carried the bottle into the Mayor's office. The leaders were there: the Senator, sitting behind the Mayor's desk; Al Hardy, hovering over him; Maureen, Chief Hartman, the Mayor. They looked happy, triumphant. Tim resented that. He knew he was irrational, that they deserved their celebration, but his grief was too great. He limped on into the office, pleased to see their grins fade as they saw the way he walked, the expression on his face. He felt Eileen and Rick Delanty crowd in behind him, then the door was closed.
"You were attacked again?" Al Hardy asked.
"Yes." Tim looked at Maureen. She knew. She knew from his face. No point in being gentle about it. "General Baker is dead. We stopped their attack, but just barely. And the rest of it I want to say to everybody." He kept his attention on the Senator. He didn't want to see Maureen's face.
Hardy turned to the Senator. "All right with me," he said. Jellison nodded, and Hardy went past Tim to the door. "Get it quiet out there," he said.
Steve Cox went to the podium and rapped for attention, while Hardy led Tim over and a dozen hands helped him up on the platform. Someone moved the Senator's chair to the doorway so that he could hear. The Mayor and Chief Hartman stood behind him, leaning forward. Tim couldn't see Maureen.
He braced himself on the lectern, facing hundreds of eyes, and drank more scotch. It warmed him. The room was almost quiet: no talking, except for newcomers crowding in by the door, and shushing noises from those already inside; He had never spoken before a live audience in real life … before the comet fell. They were