46

"Because there aren't any guns," Chase said to Amanda.  "I don't like them, I've never kept any around."

They were in the kitchen.  Max and Elizabeth sat on the floor; they had been playing War with two decks of cards.

"I can't leave the sea lions, Simon," Amanda said.  "They're like my children.  I couldn't do it."

"You have to.  We can't defend ourselves here.  If that thing comes ashore here—"

"I won't go.  You take the kids to town, leave Tall Man here with me.  We can bring the big boat to the dock, I'll try to get the girls aboard, and—"

The kitchen door flew open.  "It's here!" Tall Man said, stepping inside and locking the door behind him.

Max started, and repeated Tall Man's words for Elizabeth.

"Where?" asked Chase.

"I don't know, but it killed Chief Joseph.  It's here, Simon.  Somewhere."

Chase looked at the children.  "We can't leave, then."

"Why not?"

"We don't dare take the chance.  It could be anywhere.  Suppose it's in the bushes by the dock."

"It would've jumped me," Tall Man said.

"Maybe not, maybe you're too big, but it'd sure as hell go after one of the kids."

Amanda started for the door.

"Where are you going?" Chase said.

"To get the girls, bring them up here."

"Are you nuts?"

"They'll follow me.  I'll be quick about it."

"I don't care.  It's pitch black out there.  Three hundred yards each way.  You'll never make it."

"I have to."  Amanda unlocked the door.  "I'll stay out in the open, I'll be able to see it coming."

"They're animals, Amanda!" Chase said.

"Not to me."  Amanda gestured at Max and Elizabeth.  "Not to them."

"I won't let you."

"You can't stop me."

"Yes, I can."  Chase took a step toward her.  "If I have to, I'll tie you down."

"Stop it, Simon," Amanda said, and she opened the door and darted out into the night.

Chase ran to the door and looked out, but Amanda was already rounding the corner of the house and running down the lawn.

"Well, shit," Tall Man said.  He picked up a butcher knife from a rack over the sink, slipped it into his belt and took the flashlight from the counter where he had put it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chase said.

"Maybe you were right, Simon, maybe it won't go after six foot of redskin Terminator."  Tall Man stepped through the door and was gone.

When Chase had locked the door, he looked at Max and Elizabeth.  They had stopped playing cards and were sitting side by side, ashen, holding hands.  He knelt beside them, put a hand on theirs and said, "This'll be okay.  It's probably hiding somewhere.  We'll get the police here at first light, and—"

"But Dad..." Max said.  "What if..."  He let the rest of the thought go unspoken.

Chase didn't answer, for he had no answer.  Instead, he forced a smile and said, "Hell, Max, can you imagine anything getting the better of Tall Man?"  His mind raced, flitting between possibilities like a mosquito in a crowd of people, trying to decide where to land.  If the thing found Tall Man, or Amanda, if Tall Man didn't kill it, what could they do?  They couldn't shoot it, couldn’t stab it, couldn't flee from it.

There were no answers, and yet Chase knew one thing for certain:  he would do anything, including sacrifice himself, but Max and Elizabeth were going to survive.

He stood up and turned, and as he glanced through the door into the living room, his eyes fell upon the steel cylinder bolted to the floor.

Max saw him looking a the cylinder and said, "What about the decompression chamber... you called it Dr. Frankenstein?"

"What about it?"

"We could get inside and lock it.  The thing could never get in."

"It doesn't lock from the inside," Chase said.  "The only way—"  He stopped, for an idea suddenly appeared in his mind, inchoate, like a cloud.  He didn't rush it, but let it slowly take shape until it became a possible answer.