The sheer weight of the responsibility for what was about to happen weighed them down as if an actual, palpable weight was atop their shoulders.As the... worked they all prayed silent prayers that the disaster would be as small as possible. They knew for sure the train was going to derail, but maybe the death toll wouldn’t be so high. Maybe the whole train would make it over the bridge. Slim chance, sure, but they were hopeful. Maybe not too many people would be hurt; maybe not too badly. Maiming. .. barely. He had just enough time to attempt to block my knife stroke with his handgun, but he didn't have quite enough time, focus or momentum to aim the weapon solidly on target. Still, it was an extremely near thing!His gun went off, rather quietly I noticed, right next to my right ear, as I just barely moved inside his guard and into knife range. I'd have called it almost a tie actually as my knife sunk into his gut blade point up just as the gunshot residue splashed and slightly burned my. "No problem. I don't know what's wrong withme. But I do know I should get my hair combed out." "I'd better go, then, and let you do that." Kathryn started to get up. "Oh, don't go! Please, stay. I'll only be a minute." "Well, I guess I can spare a little more time. Like I said, I'm a computerwidow tonight. I wonder if they've even missed me yet?" Laura thanked her, and went off to the bathroom to comb out her long brownhair. As quick as she could, she came back to the family room. Kathryndidn't. Her right handstretched out as she struggled to reach the nearest hem of her tornrobe, and the pocket where her matches had been stashed. She managed tosnag the edge of the material, and pulled the robe close enough to fishout several more matches as the ethereal demons shrilled audibly forthe first time since she had become aware of them. They screamed allthe louder when she managed to thumb a match with her nail, and itflickered in her hand.Even as she flung the match over her head at the.