"Never mind that for a moment, Morry. Just help me collect every one of these."
I grabbed handfuls of crystals from the rack, stuffing them in my pockets, until between us we had every one.
John took a last look to check. Then we dropped through the hole in the floor, down into the cellar.
"I had an elaborate plan in mind," he said to me, as we hurried away. "But this changes everything. Is the converter in your truck working?" We shot out into the courtyard.
"If you're in a hurry, John, why not use the one there in the cellar?"
"Hell, you're right. This has shaken me so much I can hardly think. Quickly, let's get these crystals reconverted."
We turned and rushed back to the cellar we had just left.
I grabbed the power controls, John fed the crystals onto the minima plate, I pressed the button and fielded the staggering human being off the maxima plate before the enlarged crystal came following through. The crystals I kicked into the corner of the cellar.
We did not talk, but concentrated on this rush conversion.
When we had released the last man, there were fifty-three people in the cellar, including John, myself and the bubble dancer, who for some reason clung to me and kissed me.