فصل پنجم

CHAPTER five

Some men from the hospital carried the swimmers away. Harry was on the phone to Paul Dreyfus. ‘Yes, there is a problem here,’ he said. ‘Send everyone - and the robot.’

He listened to Paul’s answer. ‘Yes, I know about the money,’ he said, ‘but we’re talking about people here. Two people are dead.’ He put his phone away.

‘Are you OK?’ he asked the children.

‘Yes,’ they said.

‘Who were those swimmers?’ Harry asked. ‘Do you know?’

‘They weren’t from the town,’ Rachel said. ‘I think they were visitors. Do we have a big problem here, Harry?’

‘I don’t know. I must talk to the most important people in the town.’

‘OK,’ Rachel said. ‘I’m the mayor. I’ll tell them you want to meet them.’

They met that evening. Eight people were in the room - Harry, Rachel, Les Worrell, and five other men and women from the town. Harry and Rachel told the others about the swimmers and the acid in the lake.

‘But this volcano is dead,’ said Sheriff Turner. ‘The last explosion was seven thousand years ago.’

‘No, it’s sleeping, not dead,’ Harry said. ‘And I think it’s starting to be dangerous again now.’

‘Mr Dalton,’ Les Worrell said, ‘you want to move over seven thousand people from their homes. They aren’t going to like that.’

‘That’s right,’ said two or three of the others.

‘Do you want people to die?’ Harry asked.

‘Do you know that people will die?’ Les said.

‘No, I don’t know. But I want people to be ready to move out.’

‘And what about Elliot Blair?’ Les said. ‘What will we say when he asks, “Why are people leaving? Is there a problem with the town?” Mr Dalton, do you think that he’ll put money into the town after that?’

Everybody in the room started talking at the same time. Suddenly, Paul Dreyfus walked into the room.

‘Paul’ said Harry. ‘You’re here. Did you bring.?’

‘Yes,’ Paul said’ I brought everything. We’re staying at the hotel and our office will be there. Now, what’s happening here?’

‘Everybody,’ called Harry,’ this is my boss, Paul Dreyfus. Paul, I want the people in the town to be ready to leave. We’re talking about it now.’

Paul looked at the others. He said, ‘Harry come with me.’

He took Harry outside. ‘This isn’t right,’ he said. ‘You’re a scientist. You don’t know that the volcano will explode.’

‘Two people are dead,’ Harry said. ‘How many more people must die?’

‘There’s some acid in the water, there are some dead trees and animals. Why do you think “Volcano!”? There are earthquakes, and you get acid in the water. You know that. I think that there was one earthquake, and that’s all. I don’t think the volcano is going to explode.’

‘But, Paul.’

‘No,’ Paul said. ‘I’m the boss. I think you’re wrong.’

He turned and went back into the room. When Harry was there too, Paul said, ‘Everybody, Harry Dalton is a good man. He only wanted to help, but I don’t think the volcano will explode. Don’t say anything to other people in the town. We don’t want them to be afraid. The other scientists and I will stay here for a week or two. We’ll take our equipment up into the mountain. When we know anything, I’ll tell you. But I don’t think we’ll find any danger.’

The businessmen were very happy. Then they turned angrily to Rachel. ‘That was a mistake, Rachel,’ they said. ‘Why did you get us all in here? We don’t want Blair to hear about it.’

Rachel looked at Dreyfus and Harry. Which of them was right?