"I remember one of the book facsimiles you got me, for instance," he said. "The writer tried for an 'expose' of the Society, in which he attempted to prove that Sir Lewis Carter and certain other members were trying to take over the world and run it to suit themselves, using their psionic powers to institute a rather horrible type of dictatorship over the world. "It was a pretty convincing book in a lot of ways. The author evidently know a lot about what he was dealing with." * * * * * At this point, Malone ran into another roadblock. There had been a fight of some kind up ahead, and a lot of cars with what looked like shell-holes in them were piled on one side of the road. The State Police were working under the confused direction of an Army major to straighten things out, while a bulldozer pushed the cars off the road onto the grass bordering it. The major stopped what he was doing and came to meet Malone as the car stopped. "Get off the road," the major said surlily. Malone looked up at him. "I've got some identification here," he said. "Mind if I get it out?" The major reached for a gun and held it. "Go ahead," he said. "Don't try anything funny. It's been hell up and down this road, mister." Malone flipped out his wallet and showed the identification. "FBI?" the Major said. "What're you doing out here?" "Special assignment," Malone said. "Oh ... by the way ... you might send some men back a ways. There are four dead mean in military uniforms lying on the road near a couple of sawhorses." The major stared. "Dead?" he said at last. "Dead how?" "I shot them," Malone said. "You--" The major's finger tightened on the trigger of his gun. "Now wait a minute," Malone said. "I said they were in military uniforms. I didn't say they were soldiers." "But--" "Three enlisted men carrying M-1 rifles?" Malone said. "When the M-1's out of date? And a captain with his bars on sideways? No, major. Those were renegades. Looters of some kind; they wanted to kill me and get the car and any valuables I happened to have." The major, very slowly, relaxed his grip on the gun and his arm fell to his side. "You did the smart thing, Mr. Malone," he said. "And I've got to go on doing it," Malone said. "I'm in a hurry." He noticed a newspaper fluttering at the side of the road, not too near the cars. Somehow it made everything seem even more lonely and strange. The headlines fluttered into sight: MARTIAL LAW EDICT "MUST BE OBEYED," SAYS GOVERNOR But Riots Are Feared In Outlying Towns MAN AND WIFE CONFESS KILLING OF RELATIVES ABOARD PRIVATE PLANE: Force Kin To Drop Off There was a photo of a woman there, too, and Malone could read just a little of the caption: "Obeying the edict of martial law laid down by the President, Miss Helen A.--" He wondered vaguely if her last name were Handbasket. The major was looking at him. "O.K., then," he said. "I can go on?" Malone said.