Barbara put an arm around her. Hugh Farnham went on as if nothing had happened. “But we won’t go down. Soon they will search this area for survivors. They’ll see our flag and take us out-helicopter, probably.
“So our business is to be alive when they come.” He stopped to think. “No unnecessary work, no exercise. Sleeping pills for everybody and try to sleep twelve hours a day and lie down all the time; it will make the air last as long as possible. The only work is to repair that blower and we’ll knock that off if we can’t fix it. Let’s see- Water must be rationed. Duke, you are water marshal. See how much pure water there is; work out a schedule to stretch it. There is a one-ounce glass with the medicines; use it to dispense water. That’s all, I guess: repair the blower, minimum exercise, maximum sleep, rationed water. Oh, yes! Sweat is wasteful. It’s still hot and, Barbara, you’ve sweat right through that sack. Take it off.”
“May I leave the room?”
“Certainly.” She left, walking carefully on the steep floor, went into the tank room, and returned wearing her soaked underwear. “That’s better,” he approved. “Now-”
“Hubert! Hubert! Where are you? I’m thirsty.” “Duke, give her one ounce. Charge it to her.” “Yes, sir.”
“Don’t forget that the cat has to have water.”
“The dirty water, maybe?”
“Hmm. We won’t die through playing fair with our guest. Let’s keep our pride.”
“He’s been drinking the dirty water.”
“Well- You boss it. Suggestions, anyone? Joe, do the plans suit you?”
“Well- No, sir.”
“So?”
“No exercise, least oxygen used, makes sense. But when it comes time to open the door, where are we?”
“We take our chances.”
“I mean, can we? Short on air, panting, thirsty, maybe sick- I’d like to be certain that anyone, Karen say, with a broken arm, can get that door open.”
“I see.”
“I’d like to try all three doors. I’d like to leave the armor door open. A girl can’t handle that crank. I volunteer to try the upper door.”
“Sorry, it’s my privilege. I go along with the rest. That’s why I asked for suggestions. I’m tired, Joe; my mind is fuzzy.”
“And if the doors are blocked? Probably rubble against the upper door-”
“We have the jack.”
“Well, if we can’t use the doors, we should make sure of the escape tunnel. Duke’s shoulder isn’t so good. My ribs are sore but I can work-today. Tomorrow Duke and I will be stiff and twice as sore. There are those steel bottles cluttering the hatch and plunder stored in the hole. Takes work. Boss, I say we’ve got to be sure of our escape-while we’re still in pretty good shape.”
“I hate to order heavy work. But you’ve convinced me.” Hugh stood up, suppressing a groan. “Let’s get busy.”
“I’ve got one more suggestion.”
“So?”
“You ought to sack in. You haven’t been to bed at all and you got banged up pretty hard.”
“I’m okay. Duke has a bad shoulder, you’ve got cracked ribs. And there’s heavy work to be done.”
“I plan to use block and tackle to skid those bottles aside. Barbara can help. She’s husky, for a girl.”
“Certainly I can,” agreed Barbara. “I’m bigger than Joe is. Excuse me, Joe.”
“No argument. Boss. Hugh. I don’t like to emphasize it but I thought of this. You admit you’re tired. Not surprising, you’ve been on the go twenty-four hours. Do you mind my saying that I would feel more confident you could get us through if you would rest?”
“He’s right, Hugh.”
“Barbara, you haven’t had any sleep.”
“I don’t have to make decisions. But I’ll lie down and Joe can call me when he needs me. Okay, Joe?”
“Fine, Barbara.”
Hugh grinned. “Ganging up on me. All right, I’ll take a nap.”
A few minutes later he was in the bottom bunk in the men’s dormitory, his feet braced against the footboard. He closed his eyes and was asleep before he could get his worries organized.
Duke and Joe found that five of the bolts of the inner door were stuck. “We’ll let them be,” Joe decided. “We can always drift them back with a sledgehammer. Let’s crank back the armor door.”