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the shock waves from the blasts of the bombs detonating…if their timing and power is perfectly balanced…can lift the platform； steadily into the sky； until eventually escape velocity is achieved。 The advantage of this idea over traditional rockets is that tremendous tonnage could be shot into space。 The primary problem is obvious： who wants to strap themselves atop a platform that is going to have nuclear bombs going off beneath it？ Of course； I would enjoy such a ride。 Extreme radiation bothers me no more than a sunny day。
Even with my great resources； I do not have a nuclear bomb at my disposal。 But the idea of the Orion project inspires a plan in me。 Seymour hit the nail on the head when he said Yaksha must be placed in a situation where he thinks all three of us will perish。 That will satisfy Yaksha。 He will then go to Krishna believing all vampires are destroyed。 I theorize that I can build my own Orion with dynamite and a heavy steel platform； and use it to allow Ray and me to escape while a secondary blast kills Yaksha。
This is how I see the details。 I let Yaksha into my house。 I tell him that I will not fight him； that we can all go out together in one big blast。 I know the possibility will entice Yaksha。 We can sit in the living room around a crate of dynamite。 I can even let Yaksha light the fuse。 He will see that the bomb is big enough to kill us all。
But what he will not see is the six inches of steel sheeting under the carpet beneath my chair and Ray's。 Our two chairs will be bolted to the steel sheet… through the carpet。 The chairs will be part of the metal plate…one unit。 Yaksha will not see a smaller bomb beneath the floor of the plate。 This bomb I will detonate； before Yaksha's fuse burns down。 This bomb will blast my amateur Orion toward the wide skylights in my ceiling。 The shock wave from it will also trigger the larger bomb。
Simple。 Yes？ There are problems； I know。
The blast from the hidden bomb will trigger the larger bomb before we can fly clear。 I estimate that the two bombs should go off almost simultaneously。 But Ray and I need rise up only fifteen feet on our Orion。 Then the blast from the larger bomb should propel us through the skylights。 If the two bombs are more than fifteen feet apart…ideally twice that distance…then the shock wave from the hidden bomb should not get to the larger bomb before we have achieved our fifteen feet elevation。
Our heads will heal quickly after we smash through the skylights as long as we are in one piece。
The physics are simple in theory； but in practice they are filled with the possibility for limitless error。 For that reason I figure Ray and I will be dead before sunrise。 But any odds are good odds for the damned； and I will play them out as best I can。
I stop at a phone booth and call my primary troubleshooter in North America。 I tell him I need dynamite and thick sheets of steel in two hours。 Where can I get them？ He is used to my unusual requests。 He says he'll call back in twenty minutes。
Fifteen minutes later he is back on the line。 He sounds relieved because he knows it's not good to bring me disappointing information。 He says there is a contractor in Portland who carries both dynamite and thick steel plating。 Franklin and Sons…they build skyscrapers。 He gives me the address of their main warehouse and I hang up。 Portland is eighty miles away。 The time is ten…fifty。
I sit in my car outside the warehouse at a quarter to midnight； listening to the people inside。 The place is closed； but there are three security men on duty。 One is in the front in a small office watching TV。 The other two are in back smoking a joint。 Since I have spent a good part of the night thinking about Krishna； hoping he will help me； I am not predisposed to kill these three。 I climb out of my car。
The locked doors cause me no problem。 I am upon the stoned men in the back before they can blink。 I put them to sleep with moderate blows to the temples。 They'll wake up； but with bad headaches。 Unfortunately； the guy watching TV has the bad luck to check on his partners as I knock them out。 He draws his gun when he sees me； and I react instinctively。 I kill him much the same way I killed Ray's father； crushing the bones in his chest with a violent kick。 I drink a belly full of his blood before he draws his last breath。 I am still weak。
The dynamite is not hard for me to find with my sensitive nose。 It is locked in a safe near the front of the building； several crates of thick red sticks。 There are detonator caps and fuses。 Already I have decided I will not be taking my car back to Mayfair tonight。 I will need a truck from the warehouse to haul the steel sheets。 The metal is not as thick as I wish； I will have to weld several layers together。 I find a welding set to take with me。
There are actually several suitable trucks parked inside the warehouse； the keys conveniently left in the ignitions。 I load up and back out of the warehouse。 I park my Ferrari several blocks away。 Then I am on the road back home。
It is after two when I reenter Mayfair。 Ray is sitting by the fire as I e through my front door。 He has changed。 He is a vampire。 His teeth are not longer； or anything silly like that。 But the signs are there…gold specks deep in his once uniformly brown eyes； a faint transparency to his tan skin； a grace to his movements no mortal could emulate。 He stands when he sees me。
〃Am I alive？〃 he asks innocently。
I do not laugh at the question。 I am not sure if the answer is something as simple as yes or no。 I step toward him。
〃You are with me；〃 I say。 〃You are the same as me。 When you met me； did you think I was alive？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Then you are alive。 How do you feel？〃
〃Powerful。 Overwhelmed。 My eyes； my ears…are yours this way？〃
〃Mine are more sensitive。 They bee more and more sensitive with time。 Are you scared？〃
〃Yes。 Is he ing back？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃When？〃
〃At dawn。〃
〃Will he kill us？〃
〃He wants to。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because he feels we are evil。 He feels an obligation to destroy us before he leaves the planet。〃
Ray frowns； testing his new body； its vibrancy。 〃Are we evil？〃
I take his hands and sit him down。 〃We don't have to be。 Soon you will begin to crave blood； and the blood will give you strength。 But to get blood you don't need to kill。 I will show you how。〃
〃You said he wants to leave this planet。 He wants to die？〃
〃Yes。 He is tired of life。 It happens…our lives have been so long。 But life does not tire me。〃 I am so emotional around Ray； it amazes me。 〃I have you to inspire me。〃
He smiles； but it is a sad smile。 〃It was a sacrifice for you to save me。〃
He takes my breath away。 〃How did you know？〃
〃When I was dying； I could see you were afraid to give me your blood。 What happens when you do？ Does it make you weak？〃
I hug him； glad that I can squeeze his body with all my strength and not break his bones。 〃Don't worry about me。 I saved you because I wanted to save you。〃
〃Is my father really dead？〃
I let go of him； look into his eyes。 〃Yes。〃
He has trouble looking at me。 Even though he is a vampire now； a predator。 Even though his thought processes have begun to alter。 He didn't protest when I told him about the blood…drinking。 But his love for his father goes deeper than blood。
〃Was it necessary？〃 he asked。
〃Yes。〃
〃Did he suffer？〃
〃No； less than a minute；〃 I add gently。 〃I am sorry。〃
He finally raises his eyes。 〃You gave me your blood out of guilt as well。〃
I nod。 〃I had to give something back after what I had taken。〃
He puts a hand to his head。 He doesn't pletely forgive me but he understands； and for that I am grateful。 He still misses his father。 〃We won't talk about it；〃 he says。
〃That is fine。〃 I stand。 〃We have much to do。 Yaksha is returning at dawn。 We cannot destroy him with brute force； even with our bined strengths。 But we might be able to trick him。 We will talk as we work。〃
He stands。 〃You have a plan？〃
〃I have more than a plan。 I have a rocket ship。〃
Welding the sheets of metal together so that we have six inches of protection does not take long。 I work outside with the arc gun so that Yaksha will not notice the smell when he enters the house。 He will have to e into the house since I won't go out to him。 Cutting a huge rectangle in the floor to acmodate the metal plate； however； takes a lot of time。 I fret as the hours slip by。 Ray is not much help because he has not acquired my expertise in everything yet。 Finally I tell him to sit and watch。 He doesn't mind。 His eyes are everywhere； staring at mon objects； seeing in them things he never imagined before。 A vampire on acid； I call him。 He laughs。 It is good to hear laughter。
As I work； I do not feel Yaksha in the area。
It is fortunate。
My speed picks up when I bolt the two chairs to the plate and recover the plate with carpet。 Here I do not have to work so carefully； the skirts of the chairs cover much。 When I am done； the living room appears normal。 I plan to use an end table to hide the detonator to the bomb I will strap beneath the steel plate。 I bore a long hole through the table and slip in a metal rod that goes through to the metal plate。 I hide the tip of the rod under a lamp base。 I place a blasti