August 16, 0020h

	Spud sat seiza in the middle of the roof, trying to get his 
breathing to settle.  It was hard.  The rooftop was uncomfortable under 
his shins, and his legs, still burning from 43 flights of stairs and a 
one and a half story ladder, were not happy to be folded beneath him.  
Plus his mind was working overtime, refusing to clear.
	He sighed and opened his eyes, staring at the jump line which sat 
coiled in front of him.  Yeah, he knew how to use it - after someone 
else had set the grapple for him.  It had taken him sixteen tries to 
snag the bottom landing of the fire escape, and then the line had hung 
over empty space, too far from the wall for him to walk up the side.  
Then his shoes wouldn't grip the decel line right.  He had to sit for a 
long time once he got onto the iron landing before he could even use his 
arms enough to pull the jump line up after him.
	He wished he had a watch.  He knew it took him way too long to 
climb the building, but he wasn't sure if Dick's patrol had brought him 
by this point yet.  
	A distant rumbling began, and Spud leapt to his feet.  The Blue 
Line!  He dashed to the south edge of the rooftop, squinting in the 
direction of the sound.  Dick had been right - you could watch the train 
from here.
	Spud stared as the three car el trundled through downtown, 
occasionally eclipsed from his view by a taller building.  He was 
looking for a dark shape on the roof of any of the cars, but as the 
train came nearer, it was clear no one was riding on it.
	Disappointed, Spud returned to the middle of the rooftop.  Where 
was Dick?  Babs would have noticed Spud was missing by now.  Maybe they 
thought he went back to Chestnut Street?  He hoped not - Chestnut Street 
was a long ways away.
	He picked up the jump line, then set it down again.  He would just have to wait.