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From the scramble across the way； Fenton's voice rose：
〃Get off me； you men！ Get off me； I say！ That's a direct order！〃
Mulligan； his chest against the counter； looked over his shoulder at the rest。
An awful lot of legs were flailing over there； and they still hadn't sorted themselves out when suddenly the flickering light stopped； and they were in darkness again。
〃Now what？〃 Fenton wailed； his voice muffled as though somebody possibly had their elbow in his mouth。
〃We're not in the city any more；〃 Morrison shouted。 〃We're in the country。 No streetlights。〃
〃Get off me！〃
For some reason it all seemed quieter in the dark； though just as jouncy and chaotic。 Mulligan clung to the counter like Ishmael； and in the darkness they eventually sorted themselves out across the way。 Finally Fenton； panting； said； 〃All right。 Everybody present？〃 He then called the role； and each of the six pantingly answered to his name… even Fox； though faintly。
〃All right；〃 Fenton said again。 〃Sooner or later they're going to have to stop。 They're going to want to get in here。 Now； they may shoot the place up first； so what we have to do is all of us get in back of that counter。 Try to keep a desk or some other piece of furniture between you and any outside wall。 They have the bank； but they don't have the money； and as long as we're on the job they aren't going to get the money！〃
It might have been an inspiring speech if it hadn't been slowed down by all the panting Fenton was doing； and if the rest of them hadn't had to hold onto the walls and one another for dear life while listening to it。 Still； it did recall them all to their duties； and Mulligan heard them now crawling toward the counter； panting and bumping into things； but making progress。
Mulligan had to go by his memory of the place； since he couldn't see his hand in front of his face。 Or wouldn't have been able to if it was there and not clutching the counter。 As he remembered the layout； the nearest entrance through the counter was down to his right； toward the safe。 He moved that way； sidling along； keeping both hands firmly on the counter edge。
He too was panting； which he could； surely understand； given the exertion required simply to keep on his feet； but why should he be so sleepy？ He'd been working a night shift for years； he hadn't gotten out of bed yesterday until four in the afternoon。 It was ridiculous to feel sleepy。 Nevertheless； it would feel very good to sit down； once he got around behind this counter。 Wedge himself in next to a filing cabinet or something； relax a little。 Not actually close his eyes； of course…just relax。
19
〃CALLING all cars； calling all cars。 Be on the lookout for a stolen bank； approximately eleven feet tall； blue and white。〃
20
DORTMUNDER； Kelp and Murch were the only gang members present at the actual theft of the bank。 Kelp； earlier that evening； had picked up a tractor…
trailer cab without its trailer near the piers in the West Village section of Manhattan and had met Dortmunder and Murch with it on Queens Boulevard in Long Island City； just across the 59th Street bridge from Manhattan； shortly after midnight。 Murch had done the driving after that； with Kelp sitting in the middle and Dortmunder on the right； resting his elbow on the open windowsill。 Below his elbow read a pany name： Elmore Trucking。 The cab had North Dakota plates。 Stuffed inside with them； amid their feet as they headed east out Long Island； were a twenty…five…foot coil of black rubber garden hose； several lengths of thick heavy chain and a carpenter's tool kit。
They arrived at the bank at one…fifteen and had to move a car parked in the way。 They pushed it down in front of a fire hydrant and took its place and waited silently with the lights and engine off until they saw the patrol car…car nine…drive by just after one…thirty。 Very quietly then they backed the cab up to the trailer and left its engine idling but lights off while they hooked the two parts together。
Which was a little plicated。 The tractor cab was of the sort that fits under the front of a cargo…carrying trailer equipped only with rear wheels； that is； the cab's rear wheels normally served as the front wheels of any trailer it towed； with the front section of the trailer resting on the low flat rear section of the cab。 But this particular trailer； the bank； being a mobile home instead of a cargo transporter； wasn't set up for that kind of rig； having instead a kind of modified V hitch in front； which was supposed to lock onto a ball at the rear of the towing vehicle。 So Dortmunder and Kelp and Murch had to attach the two together with the loops of chain； shushing each other at every rattle and clank； squeezing links shut with the pliers from the tool kit in order to plete the loops and attach trailer to cab with four heavy circles of chain。
One end of the garden hose was then stuck into the cab's tailpipe； and while Kelp wrapped lots of black tape around the hose and that end of the pipe Dortmunder stood on the rear of the cab and shoved the other end through an air vent high in the trailer wall； so the cab exhaust would now go into the bank。 More tape was used to fasten that end of the hose in place； and to keep the length of it flat against the front of the trailer all the way down； and to attach the extra coils of hose to the rear superstructure of the cab。
All of which had taken only three or four minutes。 Murch and Kelp got back into the cab； Kelp carrying the tool kit； and Dortmunder made one last check before trotting around and swinging up into the cab on the right side。 〃Set；〃 he said。
〃I'm not gonna start slow；〃 Murch said。 〃We're gonna have to jerk it loose and then go like hell。 So hold on。〃
〃Any time；〃 Kelp said。
〃Now；〃 Murch said； threw it in first； and jumped on the accelerator with both feet。
The cab lunged forward like a dog that had backed into a hot stove。 There was a grinding noise that none of them heard over the engine roar； and the bank snapped its moorings…these being the water pipe in and the sewage pipe out of the bathroom。 As water spurted up from the broken city water pipe like Old Faithful geyser； the bank slid away leftward over its concrete wall； like a name card being slipped out of a slot in a door。 Murch； not wanting to turn before the bank's rear wheels had cleared the concrete blocks； tore straight ahead across the side street； began to spin the steering wheel only as his front tires thumped up over the curb on the other side； and as Kelp and Dortmunder both yelled and waved their arms he angled the cab leftward so it just missed the bakery windows on the corner； drove catty…corner across the sidewalk at the intersection； thumped down off the curb again on the other side； shot out across the main street at a long angle； straightened out at last on the wrong side of the street； and took off。
Behind them； the left rear wheel of the bank had just nicked the edge of the concrete block wall； but aside from an extra jounce it caused no obvious damage； though it did loosen a couple of the s