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SECONDS4 ,HE /OOD HOLD+ ! PAP] ,N$ _H
GIV5 HM1 ! SUN SLANT+ ON ! PICTURE (!
BIG ,BRITI% TANK4 ,B ! "Y 9V5TOR DID N
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3TEMPLAT+ "S?+ AF> (F4
  8,WELL1 ? GETS ME60 CRI$ ,N$1 8 VOICE
%[+ IMPATI;E4 8,"H ,I G & GET A PICTURE
(! LATE/ MA*9E ! ,BRITI% >MIES >E SMA%+
UP ! ,BO*ES )1 & BR+ X 6Y FRE% F ! MAIL
--,I EV5 QUIT MY ,LIB]TY ,BOND BUSI;S 6D
X1 & ,I "K "S D&Y PROSPECTS1 TOO--& "H Y
LOOK AT X L A--L A FI%60 BUR/ \ ,N$4

8,SAY1 OLD MAN1 ,I GUESS T'S "R60
  ADMITT$ ,TOM4 8,I
WASN'T ?9K+ AB X1 6TELL Y ! TRU?40

8,:Y N80 ,N$ DEM&$4 8,ISN'T X GRT1 ,TOM8
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ME80
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2F80 ,N$ P]SI/$4
  8,NO1 N EXACTLY L T ,B--0
  8,WELL1 :AT D Y ?9K ( X80 CRI$ ! "Y
BANK]1 :O 0 GIV+ M* ( 8 "T 6SELL+ BONDS
=! ,GOV]N;T4 8,ISN'T X GRT80

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SL[LY3

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W W9 ! W> = U &! ,ALLIES1 TOO1 & DON'T Y
=GET X6 ,FRITZ'S B>B$ WIRE & DUG\TS &
MA*9E GUN EMPLACE;TS C'T /& =A M9UTE AG/
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BACK Z WELL Z ANY O!R WAY1 & !Y DON'T
M9D A %[] ( %RAPNEL OR A BUR/ ( MA*9E
GUN L1D1 ANY M ?AN AN ALLIGATOR M9DS A
SW>M ( GNATS4 ,! ONLY ?+ T MAKES 'EM
HESITATE A BIT IS A ,JACK ,JOHNSON OR A
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"O1 & 9 ! "R PLACE1 6D M* DAMAGE4 ,^!
TANKS >E GRT1 & "!'S NO?+ L 'EM40
  8,OH1 YES "! IS1 ,N$60
  8,"! IS60 CRI$ ,N$4 8,:AT D Y M1N80
  8,I M1N "! MAY 2 "S?+ L !M--SOON40
  8,"! MAY8 ,SAY1 ,TOM--0
  8,N[ DON'T ASK ME A LOT ( "QS1 ,N$1 =
,I C'T ANSW] !M4 ,:5 ,I SAY "! MAY 2
"S?+ L !M1 ,I M1N X ISN'T 2Y ! R1LMS (
POSSIBIL;Y T "S "O--P]H ! ,G]MANS--MAY
TURN \ EV5 BI7] & BETT] TANKS40
  8,OH60 ,& ,N$'S VOICE %[$ 8 4APPO9T;T4
8,I ?"\ MAYBE Y 7 9 ON T GAME YRF1 ,TOM4
,SAY1 CDN'T Y GET UP "S?+ ALM Z GD Z ?80
& HE 9DICAT$ ! PICTURE 9 ! PAP]4 8,ISN'T
T WOND];L80
  8,OH1 WELL1 X'S GD1 ,N$1 B "! >E O!RS4
,YES1 ,DAD1 ,I'M -+10 HE CALL$1 Z HE SAW
8 "F BECKON+ 6HM F A 4TANT BUILD+4
  8,WELL1 ,I'VE GOT 6GET AL;G10 SD ,N$4
8,B ,I C]TA9LY AM 4APPO9T$1 ,TOM4 ,I ?"\
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! "Y 9V5TOR4
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! GR\P (! _M -PRIS+ ! ,SWIFT PLANT4 ,N$
LOOK$ AT ! DOOR : BORE A NOTICE 6! E6ECT
T NO "O 0 ADMITT$ UN.S BE>+ A SPECIAL
P]MIT1 OR A3OMPANI$ 0,MR4 ,SWIFT OR
,TOM4
  8,:AT'S ?1 ,TOM80 ASK$ ,N$4 8,"S NEW
WR9KLE80
8,YES1 AN 9V5;N ,I'M "W+ ON4 ,X ISN'T 9
%APE YET 6BE SE540

8,X M/ 2 "S?+ BIG1 ,TOM10 OBS]V$ ,N$1 Z
  HE
VIEW$ ! L>GE BUILD+4

  8,X IS40
  8,& SAY1 :AT A :OPP+ BIG F;E Y'VE GOT
>.D ! BACK Y>D60 W5T ON ! "Y BANK]4
8,LOOKS L A BASEBALL FIELD1 B X WD TAKE
"S SCRAMBL+ ON ! "P (A BACK-LOTS KID
6GET OV] X40
  8,T'S :AT X'S =--6KEEP P \40
  8,I SEE6 ,WELL1 ,I'VE GOT 6GET AL;G4
,I'M A BIT BACK 9 MY "D'S QUOTA ( SELL+
,LIB]TY ,BONDS1 & ,I'VE GOT 6HU/LE4 ,I'M
SORRY ,I BO!R$ Y AB T TANK PICTURE1
,TOM40

8,OH1 X WASN'T A BO!R--DON'T ?9K T =A
  M9UTE1
,N$6 ,I 0 GLAD 6SEE X40

  8,WELL1 HE DIDN'T SEEM S1 & 8 MANN] 0
C]TA9LY QUE]10 MUS$ ,N$1 Z HE WALK$
AWAY1 & TURN$ 9 "T 6SEE ,TOM 5T] ! NEW
BUILD+1 : _H S* A HI< F;E ALL >.D X 8,I
N"E SAW HM M 9DI6]5T4 ,I WOND] IF ,TOM
ISN'T 9T]E/$ 9 SEE+ ,UNCLE ,SAM HELP W9
? W>8 ,T'S ! WAY X /RUCK ME4 ,I ?"\
SURELY ,TOM WD G UP 9 ! AIR1 & SAY ? 0 A
D&Y10 & ,N$ UNFOLD$ ! PAP] & TOOK ANO!R
LOOK AT ! ,BRITI% TANK PHOTOGRAPH4 8,IF
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MUS$4
  8,B ,I SUPPOSE ,TOM HAS 4COV]$ "S NEW
K9D ( AIR /ABILIZ]1 OR A DI6]5T K9D (
C>BURETOR T W VAPORIZE K]OS5E Z WELL Z
GASOL5E4 ,IF HE HAS1 :Y DOESN'T HE (F] X
6,UNCLE ,SAM8 ,I WOND] IF ,TOM IS PRO-
,G]MAN8 ,NO1 ( ,C\RSE HE C'T BE60 & ,N$
LAU<$ AT 8 [N IDEA4

8,AT ! SAME "T1 X IS QUE]10 HE MUS$ ON4
  8,"! IS
"S?+ WR;G ) ,TOM ,SWIFT40

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REPRES5T,N ( "O (! NEWE/ & L>GE/ (!
,BRITI% TANKS4 ,9 APPE>.E ^! >E N UNLIKE
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IS NO %>P;S 6A TANK1 ! 8NOSES0 BO? 2+
BLUNT4
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/EEL PLATES1 H+$ TGR1 ) RIDGES AT !
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! PLAT=MS ( "S MOV+ /AIRWAYS US$ 9
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TANK4
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GUNS T FIRE ON ! 5EMY4 ,"! >E CRAMP$
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7 ^? F/ 3/RUCT$1 WEI<+ =TY-TWO TONS1 OR
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KNOCK OV] ! OB/RUC;N1 M.T X1 CRAWL OV]
X1 & SLIDE D[N 96A HOLE ON ! O!R SIDE &
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,EV5 IF OV]TURN$1 ! TANKS C "S"TS "R
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:EELS1 "PLY US$ 9 /E]+ & "PLY = R1*+ OV]
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6GUIDE !MVS OR DIRECT _! FIRE4
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PA/ ! TR5*ES1 : !Y C /RA4LE & WRI7LE ACR
L "S GIANT WORM4
  8,& 6?9K T ,TOM ,SWIFT DIDN'T 5?USE
OV] ^!60 MURMUR$ ,N$4 8,I WOND] :AT'S !
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