the rules himself—on the table nearby. Dr. Nichols was starting to rise. Mike lent him a hand.
“Lord, do I feel stupid,” muttered the doctor, brushing his clothes. Fortunately for his finery, the cafeteria floor had been mopped and waxed to a shine. “For a moment there, I thought I was back at Khe Sanh.” He, too, asked the inevitable question. “What the hell was that?”
The large and crowded room was now in a muted uproar, everyone asking the same thing. But there was no panic. Whatever that was, nothing immediately disastrous seemed to have occurred.
“Let’s get outside,” said Mike, heading toward the cafeteria’s door. “Maybe we’ll get a better idea.” He glanced around the room, looking for his sister. He spotted Rita almost at once, clutching Tom’s arm. She seemed a bit alarmed, but was obviously unhurt.
By the time Mike reached the door, Frank Jackson had pushed his way through the babbling crowd. Seeing the stocky, gray-haired form of the union’s secretary-treasurer, followed by five other miners from the local, Mike felt a flash of pride. UMWA. Solidarity forever.
Meeting Frank’s eyes, Mike shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know what happened either. Let’s go outside and check around.”
A few seconds later, the little group of men was passing through the entrance to the high school and making their way onto the parking lot. Seeing him come, dozens of Mike’s local union members started moving in his direction. Most of them
“Lord, do I feel stupid,” muttered the doctor, brushing his clothes. Fortunately for his finery, the cafeteria floor had been mopped and waxed to a shine. “For a moment there, I thought I was back at Khe Sanh.” He, too, asked the inevitable question. “What the hell was that?”
The large and crowded room was now in a muted uproar, everyone asking the same thing. But there was no panic. Whatever that was, nothing immediately disastrous seemed to have occurred.
“Let’s get outside,” said Mike, heading toward the cafeteria’s door. “Maybe we’ll get a better idea.” He glanced around the room, looking for his sister. He spotted Rita almost at once, clutching Tom’s arm. She seemed a bit alarmed, but was obviously unhurt.
By the time Mike reached the door, Frank Jackson had pushed his way through the babbling crowd. Seeing the stocky, gray-haired form of the union’s secretary-treasurer, followed by five other miners from the local, Mike felt a flash of pride. UMWA. Solidarity forever.
Meeting Frank’s eyes, Mike shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t know what happened either. Let’s go outside and check around.”
A few seconds later, the little group of men was passing through the entrance to the high school and making their way onto the parking lot. Seeing him come, dozens of Mike’s local union members started moving in his direction. Most of them