1634: Turn Your Radio On Read Online Free PDF Page A

Brother Enriquez until it was finished. Getting on the wrong side of Phyllis was never a good idea. Cracking a grin, he thought, When Mamma's happy, everybody's happy. But when Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! And that Phyllis never let you get away without knowing when she was not happy!
    Even working with the Kraut preacher wasn't as bad as Slater had feared. Just because these down-time Germans aren't as advanced as us West Virginian's, it doesn't mean that they're stupid . His buddies down at the 250 Club wouldn't agree with him on that, but what were you going to do? It was way too late now to build a wall around the Ring of Fire and kick them out. Might as well just deal with the damn Krauts. They weren't all bad.
    The Kraut preacher took a swig of water before getting back into reading his Bible. Slater thought he was a good sort. Slater lit his cigarette and called out, "Preacher, wanna cigarette? Nothing in the Bible agin smoking, is there?"
    Fischer smiled. "No, thank you, Brother Dobbs. Nothing in the Bible against smoking. I just don't know how it might make my pickled cabbage taste."
    For a moment Slater didn't know what to think, then seeing Fischer's grin, he realized he'd been poked fun at and started laughing himself. "All right, Preacher. I promise I won't call you a Kraut any more. That's a good 'un!"
    The construction job they were on was for the silo manufacturing plant in the new industrial park on the Saale River just outside the Ring of Fire. Slater and Fischer were assigned to finish the punch-outs of the rafter supports that would be holding the new crane rails. Every bent nail left behind by the building crew had to be reinforced by two nails from the punch-out team. Every structural piece of wood had to be braced and supported by an additional piece of wood below it. When they weren't placed exactly to specifications, Fischer and Slater had to carefully remove and place the offending support back in the right spot or refit them entirely.
    It was later that afternoon when the miracle happened.
    A cross-tie Fischer was working on slipped out of position, pinning Slater's hand in a painful squeeze. He climbed over to lift it, then grabbed Slater's wrist with one hand and examined the damaged hand. Three of Slater's fingers were bent the wrong way in more than one place. Several felt like they might be broken. The pain hadn't hit yet, but from the color of the nails Slater was sure to lose more than the use of his hand for a long time, if it could be fixed at all. Slater swallowed back a scream as Fischer handled his mangled hand.
    Below them, Slater heard someone call, "Mr. Enriquez! Where are you? I need you now!" The voice came up clearly to them, even though Slater couldn't move his attention away from the throbbing of his hand, which was just announcing the abuse he was seeing. For some reason he could only think, Boy, is Phyllis going to be pissed at me .
    "Over here! Hi, Lieutenant Ivarsson. What can Kelly Construction do for the Swedish Yellow Regiment today?" Pete smiled as he looked up from his blueprints, down below on the job floor.
    Slater felt Fischer tighten his grip on the injured hand and grab hold further up his arm with his other hand. Bones and ligaments popped. Slater inhaled deeply, shocked by the suddenness of it. He looked up into Fischer's face and saw Fischer's deep blue eyes turning steely and his complexion darkening, making the long scar on his forehead almost glow.
    Below the conversation continued, with Ivarsson forcefully demanding, "I have to have you back at the barracks now. The windows, they still stick."
    "Lieutenant, I told you before. Those new double-hung windows we installed in your barracks needed to be given some time to cure in place before we come back to adjust them. You weren't supposed to fool with them yet," Pete answered.
    Ivarsson scowled. "What good are windows you cannot open or close? We have twelve barracks and one staff house with no