been placed in charge of distribution of medical supplies under Dr.
Adams. He wants you and the other boys of the club to help in arranging
locations for medical care. Meet him at Dr. Adams' office."

"Okay, Mom. How about packing a load of sandwiches? I may not be back
for a long time. I don't know what arrangements they are making for
feeding the people on duty."

"Of course. I'll make them right away." She hurried to the kitchen.

Maria said, "There must be something I can do. They'll need nurses and
aides. I want to go with you."

"I don't know what they've planned in that department, either. They
ought to have plenty of room for women in the food and nursing details."

His mother came with the sandwiches and placed them in his hands. "Be
careful, Ken." Her voice shook. "Do be careful."

"Sure, Mom."

Maria got her coat. Mrs. Larsen let her go without protest, but the two
women watched anxiously as the young people rode toward town on the
police horse.

At the doctor's office, Ken found his father surrounded by an orderly
whirl of activity. "Ken! I was hoping you'd get back soon. You can help
with arrangements for hospital care, in assigned homes. The rest of your
friends are out on their streets. Take this set of instructions Dr.
Adams has prepared and see that arrangements are made in exact
accordance with them at each house on the list."

"I can help, too," said Maria.

"Yes. Dr. Adams has prepared a list of women and girls he wants to
assign as nurses and aides. You can help contact them. Get the ones on
this list to meet here as quickly as possible and they'll be assigned to
the houses which the boys are lining up."

The comet was setting earlier now, so that its unnatural light
disappeared almost as soon as the sun set below the horizon. In the
short period of twilight, tension grew in the city. Everything possible
had been done to mount defenses. An attack had been promised if the
nomad emissaries did not return. Now the time had come.

Darkness fell with no sign of activity in any direction. It seemed
unreasonable that any kind of night attack would be launched, but
Hilliard and Johnson warned their men not to relax their vigilance.

The pace of preparatory activity continued. Blankets, clothing and food
were brought to the men who waited along the defense perimeter. Medical
arrangements were perfected as much as possible.

Ken and his father made their quarters in another room of the build