"Ten years ago the Devil Car, their leader, killed my brother in araid on his Gas Fortress," said Murdock, "and I've hunted that blackCaddy ever since. I've searched for it form the air and I've searchedon foot. I've used other cars. I've carried heat trackers andmissiles. I even laid mines. But always it's been too fast or toosmart or too strong for me. Then I had you built."

"I knew you hated it very much. I always wondered why," Jennysaid.

Murdock drew on his cigarette.

"I had you specially programmed and armored and armed to be thetoughest, fastest, smartest thing on wheels, Jenny. You're theScarlet Lady. You're the one car can take the Caddy and his wholepack. You've got fangs and claws of the kind they've never metbefore. This time I'm going to get them."

"You could have stayed home, Sam, and let me do the hunting."

"No. I know I could have, but I want to be there. I want to givethe orders, to press some of the buttons myself, to watch that DevilCar burn away to a metal skeleton. How many people, how many cars hasit smashed? We've lost count. I've got to get it, Jenny!"

"I'll find it for you, Sam."

They sped on, at around two hundred miles per hour.

"How's the fuel look, Jenny?"

"Plenty there, and I have not yet drawn upon the auxiliary tanks.Do not worry."

"чThe track is getting stronger," she added.

"Good. How's the weapons system?"

"Red light, all around. Ready to go."

Murdock snubbed out his cigarette and lit another.

"...Some of them carry dead people strapped inside," said Murdock,"so they'll look like decent cars with passengers. The black Caddydoes it all the time, and it changes them pretty regularly. It keepsits interior refrigeratedчso they'll last."

"You know a lot about it, Sam."

"It fooled my brother with phoney passengers and phoney plates.