ng. Telling what happened
seemed to relieve his tension.

"Both lines moved quickly, except for the last man in the south line.
I thought he seemed to be dragging deliberately so. And for some
reason or the other, all the prisoners--even those at the tables,
except the drugged ones, hadn't started eating--watched him. But I
could see no reason for alarm.

"I was at the back and the two guards, with their guns, were at each
door. There was a counter between the prisoners and the kitchen, and,
most important, these men had been conditioned or drugged. Then the
one who was dragging got to the coffee urn with his tray."

Thornberry shivered and then slumped in his chair. "It was the most
shocking thing I have ever experienced because what happened was
against everything that I have ever learned. Those conditioned men in
the mess hall went mad. Before the guards could fire more than a
couple of shots, all the conditioned ones had thrown their trays at
me, at the guards, or the people behind the counter, and then started
scrambling across the counter. In a moment they were so mixed up with
our kitchen personnel that the guards didn't dare do any more
shooting. And just as suddenly as it had started, they were gone.
Except for me and two guards, everyone else in the mess hall was
either dead or dying, or one of the drugged men."

* * * * *

Bennington lit a cigarette and wished that he had one of Ferguson's
stout drinks.

"Let me get this straight. They threw trays at you and the guards,
right? But nothing more. That is, they didn't run toward you?"

"No, first the trays and then directly over the counter into the
kitchen and out its two back doors."

"In other words, they knew where they were going."

Thornberry's face showed sharp surprise. "Why, yes, they did. They did
seem to have a purpose, a definite sense of direction in the way they
left the mess hall."

"For once I must completely agree with one of your statements,
Thornberry. As soon as we can, we've got to get hold of Judkins, but
we can't do it from here, dammit."

"Tell me who he is and we'll get him for you," a voice whispered from
the floor.

Though educated in different professions, both Bennington and
Thornberry had been well trained in the value of not showing
astonishment. Out of the corner of his eyes, the general could see a
uniformed State trooper lying flat on the floor. The head lifted,
Bennington recogniz