s hands in the air, but with no mark of surprise
or fear on his face. "So the bad pennies turn up. You damned fools, you
should have stuck. I had big plans for you, Gordon. I've still got them,
if you don't insist..."

His hands whipped down savagely toward his hips and came up sharply!
Gordon spun, and the gun leaped in his hands, while the submachine gun
jerked forward and clicked on an empty chamber. Trench was tumbling
forward to avoid the shot, but he twitched as a bullet creased his
shoulder. Then he was upright, waving empty hands at them, with the thin
smile on his face deepening. He'd had no guns.

Gordon jerked around, but Wayne was already disappearing through a heavy
door. And the cops were reaching for their guns. Gordon estimated the
chances of escape and then leaped forward into their group, with Izzy at
his side, seeking close quarters where guns wouldn't work.

Gun butts, elbows, fists, and clubs were pounding at him, while his own
club lashed out savagely. In ten seconds, things began to haze over, but
his arms went on mechanically, seeking the most damage they could work.

Then a heavy bellow sounded, and a seeming mountain of flesh thundered
across the huge room. There was no shuffle to Mother Corey now. The huge
legs pumped steadily, and the great arms were reaching out to flail
aside clubs and knives. Men began spewing out of the brawl like straw
from a thresher as the old man grabbed arms, legs, or whatever was
handy. He had one cop in his left arm, using him as a flail against the
others.

The Municipals broke. And at the first sign, Mother Corey leaped
forward, dropping his flail and gathering Izzy and Gordon under his
arms. He hit the heavy door with his shoulder and crashed through
without breaking stride. Stairs lay there, and he took them three at a
time.

He dropped them finally as they came to a side entrance. There was a
sporadic firing going on there, and a knot of Municipals were clustered
around a few Legals, busy with knives and clubs. Corey broke into a run
again, driving straight into them and through, with Gordon and Izzy on
his heels. The surprise element was enough to give them a few seconds.

Then they were around a small side building, out of danger. Sheila was
holding the door of a large three-wheeler open. They ducked into it,
while she grabbed the wheel.

They edged forward until they could make out the shape of the fight
going on. The Legals had never quite reached