motioned his friend to climb, and as they passed
over the shaft he called ''Now!" Their burden fell away, towards the
whirling fan blades far below. If the safety shields didn't hold, there
wouldn't be anything left to think about. Even if they did, the body
would be too bashed to tell much.
71 As North and Gray dove for the safety of the rooftops, they heard a
loud BANG, and a lot of 'thump, thump, thumps. ' Gray must've known
what North was thinking, for he cried out, "The shields didn't hold.
How about landing someplace? My wing muscles are killing me!"
72 "You're not the only one," North sighed, "and my hand is bleeding
again."
73 They landed on a nearby rooftop. Gray took out a light and examined
North's hand. "The bandage is soaked through," he complained. "You're
losing an awful lot of blood. We've got to find a hospital. Tell them
we made a bad landing in the dark."
74 "I 'LL te11 them!" North argued. "You head home."
75 "No way!" Gray snapped back. "I'm going with you to see you get
there safely. Tell me, North, what's it feel like- to kill a man, I
mean?"
76 North looked at his friend in surprise. "It didn't feel like
anything!" he explained. "I suppose it should, but it was like I was
killing some dangerous animal, not a man. I didn't even think about it,
I just swung! I wasn 't angry, I didn't hate him, I just knew it had to
be done and did it, that's all."
77 Gray looked at North and nodded. "I think I understand," he agreed.
"I heard him bragging about what they'd do to the Hashon women before
they killed them. He was laughing about it just as you hit him. He's
sure not laughing now!"
78 After a few minute's rest the two made their way to a hospital and a
Doctor was treating North's hand in moments. "Will you young people
never learn?" the Doctor complained. "This is the third injury caused by bad landings at night.
There's nothing shameful or cowardly about using a