body.

But something else was gone, too. The opportunity for him and his
science club friends to investigate the properties of the altered metal
was over. His father and the other scientists had taken over those
studies, and there would be no place for high-school boys who did not
know even enough to prepare a slide for an electron microscope.

It had always been that way, as long as he could remember. He had always
been too young and too ignorant to be intrusted with work that mattered.

He supposed they would turn the operation of the air filter over to one
of the teaching fellows, even though that was something the club could
handle.

The bitterness and the fear seemed more than he could endure. He dressed
quietly and went downstairs. Without lighting a lamp, he found something
to eat. The first light of dawn was showing when he left the house.

For an hour he walked the silent streets without meeting anyone.
Normally, there would have been the sound of milk trucks, and the cars
of early-rising workers. Now there was nothing. The comet had risen just
above the eastern hills, and in its light the city was like some
fabulous, golden ruin that belonged in an ancient fairytale.

Ken didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do. There
ought to be something useful he could do, he thought fiercely.

As he looked down the street, he saw a half-dozen wagons with two teams
each, stopped in front of Sims Hardware and Lumber. In the wagons were
several dozen men. Ken recognized Andrew Norton, of the Mayor's Council,
and Henry Atkins, the Sheriff's chief deputy.

Several of the men were emerging from the hardware store with new axes
and saws. Then Ken understood. This was the first wood detail headed
for the mountains to begin gathering and stockpiling fuel for the
winter. He broke into a run.

Deputy Atkins appeared to be in charge of the group. Ken hailed him. "I
want to go along, Mr. Atkins. May I go?"

The deputy glanced down at him and frowned. He consulted a sheet of
paper he drew from his pocket. "Your name isn't on the list for this
morning, Ken. Were you assigned?"

"I guess not, but I haven't got anything else to do today. Is there any
objection to my going?"

"I don't suppose so," said Atkins dubiously. "It's just that your name
may be on some other list. We don't want to get these things fouled up
right off the bat. There's enough trouble as it is."

"I'm sure my name's not on any other li