His stomach was still sick, but he managed to smile at her. Through the slackening downpour he saw the bare walls and flat roof of Center.
"The Center," he told Fetzer.
Word leaped from group to group. Center. Center. Children picked it up excitedly.
"Now," said Lucifer.
Fetzer brought his arm down sharply. Lucifer saw the people around him pull themselves together for another effort. Nina looked faint.
Nothing happened.
Most of the children were bouncing with excitement. They still hadn't joined the psi focus. Lucifer ran up to a freckle-faced boy of about five.
"Let's have some fun," he said. "Blow up Center just like you did the guard tower!"
The words rippled from child to child, spoken and unspoken. Now it was a game instead of an awesome duty. Hey, Tommy, this is going to be neat. Blow up Center! Wow! Watch me. Aw, you aren't so hot! Quit shovin', will ya'? I can't see. Center. Blow up Center! Oh, boy!
Lucifer gripped the freckled boy by the shoulders.