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Police
Suicide
Is Police Culture Killing
Our Officers?
Police
Suicide
Is Police Culture Killing
Our Officers?
Edited by
Ronald A. Rufo, EdD
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efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot
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I would like to dedicate this book to my granddaughter Alinah, who
makes me very happy and is very special in so many ways. I love being
her Papa. Even at a very young age, she is thoughtful and considerate.
To my three wonderful daughters Rita, Laura, and Cara, who touch
my heart, each in a different way, and who I love with all of my heart.
To my Dad, who influenced me in so many ways and who passed
away at a young age, I know he would have been proud of me.
To my beautiful wife Debbie, who has always been supportive
and patient in my effort to complete my book and to get my
crusade about the importance of being emotionally stable to
all police officers on and off the job. Debbie has always been
my inspiration to reach for the stars and never look back.
Contents
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Editor xix
Introduction xxi
vii
viii Contents
11 Conclusion 239
RON RUFO
Index 243
Foreword
ix
x Foreword
Culture Killing Our Officers? takes us from what the cadet experiences in the
police academy through the daily job stress and even to the aftermath of a
police suicide. No other book is as comprehensive as this. Rufo gives us a look
into the police academy and the training that cadets receive. Here we get our
first glimpse of the fact that the personal life of police officers is not addressed
nor are there coping mechanisms or emotional preparedness for this job that
put so much strain on the psyche of officers.
Some time ago, I wrote a book on the lives of Catholic priests titled Grace
under Pressure. As a result of an extensive research project where I inter-
viewed priests from across the United States, I learned a great deal about
what it takes to be a successful Catholic priest. What I learned in that research
reminds me of the preparation and lifestyle of police officers. At that time,
I discovered that priests were not receiving training in the emotional tools
necessary to cope with their roles as leaders of often multimillion-dollar
corporations so soon after their ordination. With the shortage of priests in
the Catholic Church, a priest is quickly thrust early in his career into the
highly stressful position of being a pastor of an organization that can have a
budget upward of millions of dollars, a building or buildings that often need
constant repair and care, or a congregation teeming with spiritual needs, and
he is often alone in doing this as the diocese (name for the district adminis-
tration) doesn’t have the manpower to assign an assistant priest to help out.
In fact, I often found one priest heading multiple parishes alone, so multiply
this stress by three or four. The most glaring aspect of this research, again at
that time, was that the priest received no training on business administra-
tion or finance. And, as I pointed out, they were not given preparation on
how to cope with all this stress. Even more remarkable is that within the
seminary and ordination process, the priests’ natural coping resources, their
families, were purposely and directly discouraged from being a part of the
priests’ lives. To badly paraphrase a statement made at the ordination cer-
emony, “You give your sons now to the work of the Lord and they are no
longer yours but ours. So, alone and coping with tremendous pressures, they
are not trained to handle and stripped of the logical coping mechanism that
groomed one to follow this calling (the family). It is no wonder many priests
cannot cope with such pressures. In fact, it is remarkable that so many of
these men do make this all work for them.”
Why this comparison? I outline this here as a strong example of exactly
what we face in the profession of being a police officer. The same elements
setting up the police officer to fail, to crack under this pressure, are in the
training process, the peer culture of police, and the on-the-job experiences
of police officers. We need to do a better job of preparing police for this stress
and a better job caring for our officers throughout their careers. If we do so,
we will have better police officers and we will be better served as a society.
This book is a primer in that direction.
xii Foreword
I have known Ron Rufo for many years. Our paths have crossed in
our work and often in our personal life. In every encounter, I have always
observed Ron to rise to the occasion. If it was on duty, Ron was the consum-
mate professional police officer. If it was personal, Ron was affable, engaging,
and positive. What this tells me about this man is that he copes with life well.
He has a wide bandwidth of personal interests, a rich and full family life, and
a passionate professional life. Ron and I have always been kindred spirits in
all those ways. I understand Ron and his approach to his job and to life itself.
I can’t think of a better authority to author such an important book than
Dr. Ronald Rufo Chicago Police Department. He has been on the streets as
a Chicago police officer for years, he studied and obtained a doctorate, he is
a passionate family man, and he is a well-balanced, emotionally stable indi-
vidual. All of these are the credibility that Ron brings to this book.
Acknowledgments
To Julie Diaz, who is not only an exceptional proofreader but also a dear
friend who has been committed and steadfast in her effort to make this book a
success. She has proven to be an invaluable teammate in preparing this man-
uscript for publication. Julie has worked extremely hard in correcting and
organizing the many pages of script that I have sent her, without ever com-
plaining. Her suggestions were clearly remarkable and well thought out. She
has assisted me in putting my message on police suicide and police culture in
a clear and organized perspective. She must have gone through a few red pens
on my manuscript, and I could not begin to thank her for her dedication to
my book. Thanks again, Julie. You truly are the best!
To the following four contributors of this book, who agreed to write their
own chapters:
I want to personally acknowledge every person in this book who has contrib-
uted to making this book a success. To the many experts in the health-care
xiii
xiv Acknowledgments
profession, the clergy, and the law enforcement who I personally interviewed
and who were gracious enough to share their thoughts, opinions, and insight
for my book on the effect of police culture as it relates to police suicide. Again,
my sincere thanks to everyone.
Health-Care Professionals
Clergy
Law Enforcement
• Dr. Dean Angelo Sr. has been in law enforcement for 34 years and
is currently the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police
Lodge 7.
• Pam Church is the chief of police of the Western Springs Police
Department, Western Springs, Illinois.
• Phil Cline is the former police superintendent of the Chicago Police
Department.
• Robert Douglas, Jr., is a sincere and dedicated professional who
works tirelessly to prevent suicide among law enforcement officers.
He is the executive director of the National Suicide Foundation, Inc.
and a former police officer. Bob was also gracious enough to cowrite
the foreword of this book.
• John Barney Flanagan spoke candidly and openly about the loss
of his son to suicide. Thank you for sharing your feelings. Barney
is a retired assistant deputy superintendent and spent 35 years as a
Chicago police officer. He retired as a first deputy superintendent,
Chicago Police Department.
• Douglas Fuchs is the police chief of the Redding Police Department,
Redding, Connecticut.
• Hiram Grau retired as a deputy superintendent after 28 years in the
Chicago Police Department, and in 2011, he became the director of
the prestigious Illinois State Police.
• Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman is an internationally recognized scholar,
author, soldier, and speaker who is one of the world’s foremost experts
in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent
crime. Lt. Col. Grossman specializes in the study of the psychology
of killing, and he has written the books On Killing and On Combat,
Acknowledgments xvii
which are required reading at the FBI academy and numerous other
academies and colleges.
• Terry Hillard is extremely well respected in the law enforcement
community. He is the former superintendent of police for the
city of Chicago and has spent more than three decades in law
enforcement.
• Bill Hogewood is a renowned and trusted authority as a peer sup-
port innovator and instructor in law enforcement. He began his
career as a Prince George’s County police officer and proudly served
the citizens of Maryland for 28 years. He became training program
manager for crisis negotiation and peer support in the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He has trained
and consulted in the United States and internationally in hostage
negotiations, peer support, suicide recognition and intervention,
and stress management.
• Michael Holub is the police chief of the La Grange Police Department,
La Grange, Illinois.
• Garry McCarthy is the current superintendent of police for the
Chicago Police Department.
• Jeff Murphy worked as a police officer for more than 40 years, retir-
ing as a lieutenant in the Chicago Police Department. He was instru-
mental in developing the Critical Incident Training (CIT) Program
for the Chicago Police Department and surrounding law enforce-
ment departments.
• Sean Riley is an inspirational, open, and caring fellow police officer
who was honest about the issues he experienced on the job as a police
officer and what he has done to change his life. He is the founder and
executive director of Safecallnow.org. Riley is also a former police
officer of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Kirkland
Police Department and past union president.
• Steve Stelter is the chief of police for Brookfield, Illinois, and has
35 years of experience in law enforcement.
• Barry Thomas is the captain of the Story County Sheriff’s Department,
the second vice president of the FBI National Academy Associates,
and the chair of the executive board for Safe Call Now.
• Brad Woods is recognized for his leadership and dedication to
helping police officers in emotional crisis within the Chicago
Police Department. He retired as a commander of the Personnel
Division. While in charge of the Personal Concerns and the
Behavioral Intervention Unit, he developed an early warning sys-
tem that would get help to an officer before the officer’s situation
became worse.
xviii Acknowledgments
Special thanks to
Dr. Ron Rufo is a highly decorated Chicago police officer with over 20 years’
service, which includes a Life Saving Award, Department Accommodation,
and Unit Meritorious Award. He has 23 honorable mentions and over 100
letters of appreciation as a Chicago police officer. Ron began his career in the
9th District, was assigned to the prestigious Ambassador program, and was
eventually assigned to the Preventive Programs Unit, where he has served
as a crime prevention speaker for over 13 years. For most of his career, Ron
has been actively involved as a peer support team leader for the Employee
Assistance Program (EAP) section of the Chicago Police Department. He has
had specialized training in suicide prevention and is a member of the Critical
Incident Team. Ron has been on numerous calls responding to police officers
in crisis and has been involved in the aftermath of police suicides. He is cur-
rently assigned to the 18th Police District.
Ron received his bachelor of arts degree in criminal social justice from
Lewis University in 2000, graduating with highest honors and as a scholar of
the university. He earned his master of arts degree in organizational leadership
from Lewis University in 2002. He received his doctorate degree in organiza-
tional leadership from Argosy University in 2007. His dissertation was “An
Investigation of On-Line Sexual Predation of Convicted Male Offenders”. His
first book, Sexual Predators Amongst Us, was released in December 2011. He
coauthored a second book, Police and Profiling in the United States: Applying
Theory to Criminal Investigation, with Dr. Lauren Barrow in July 2013.
Ron has contributed a chapter on sexual predator investigations to a
book geared toward police detectives and crime scenes. He has also contrib-
uted a chapter on building safety for a property manager’s guide to a book on
terrorism and property management. Ron has taught criminal social justice
in the master’s program at Kaplan University since 2008.
xix
Introduction
If I commit suicide, it will not be to destroy myself but to put myself back
together again. Suicide will be for me only one means to put myself back
together again. Suicide will be for me only one means of violently reconquer-
ing myself, of brutality invading my being, of anticipating the unpredictable
approaches of God. By suicide, I reintroduce my design in nature; I shall for
the first time give things the shape of my will.
Antonin Artaud, French poet
This book will provide a realistic insight into the life of a police officer through
a police officer’s eyes. I have been a Chicago police officer for over 20 years
and will give graphic details of what an officer goes through to survive on the
streets, but what he or she gives up in return.
Early in childhood many people will ask, “What do you want to become
when you grow up?” I am not completely sure when I thought about becom-
ing a police officer. I never said to anyone that I would like to be a police offi-
cer until my late twenties. It was always in the back of my mind, but I never
acted on it until my early thirties. I am not sure what exactly persuaded me
to take the necessary steps to become a police officer; it may have been my
demeanor to help others. No one in my family was in law enforcement. My
encounters with police officers were rare and infrequent.
xxi
xxii Introduction
I finally was called in for the next segments of the exam. Going through the
testing process was long, with the anticipation and waiting for the next step
in the process. The agility test was my last obstacle, and I ran the mile and a
half in less than 12 minutes on an unusually blistering hot June day. There I
was sitting in a room with the other candidates who passed the run, the last
segment to starting the academy. We were told to quit our previous jobs and
move into the city and that we would be starting the Police Academy on July
5, 1994. We were told to report to the Police Academy at 8 a.m. sharp in a suit
and tie.
The night of July 4 was filled with anticipation and the sounds of errant
firecrackers exploding what seemed like yards away from my bedroom win-
dow. I tossed and turned and could not sleep. I was worried that if I did fall
asleep, I might not hear the alarm clock. At 4 o’clock, I got up, took a shower,
and proceeded to get dressed. Better that I am early than late. I arrived at the
Police Academy at 5 a.m., 3 hours earlier than I was supposed to arrive.
The shocked police officer on duty at the front desk asked me bluntly, “What
the hell do you want, who are you?” I explained that I was in the next acad-
emy class and could not sleep. Shaking his head, the officer directed me to the
vending machines in the cafeteria and said, “Welcome to the Chicago Police
Department.” The rest is history.
Always a Cop
The public looks to the police for answers and solutions to problems and to
be problem solvers. Rarely does the public realize that the police are humans
and that we have issues of our own. Most people like the police; a few indi-
viduals loathe the police. A majority of people do not enjoy their encounters
with the police. The police are called for service when something bad or cata-
strophic has occurred, for example, a car accident, burglary, or theft report,
and the list goes on. Often when the police are involved, there is some form
of negative connotation attached to the situation.
The media, both newsprint and television, will often sensationalize a story
that involves the police, more often emphasizing police misconduct over
something good that the police have done. News coverage regarding the
inappropriate behavior of an officer is often highlighted in the headlines of
the daily paper and in the local newscasts. Police should not be above the law
or the citizens they are sworn to protect, and that is often the focus of the
officer who has abused his or her power in an effort to circumvent the law.
People are curious about how the officer got caught up in the miscon-
duct or situation that they are accused of being involved in. The consensus
is the officer abused his power and should be severely punished; there are
enough criminals on our streets and the police officer should not be one of
them. The Constitution of the United States maintains that anyone accused
of any criminal or illegal behavior is innocent until proven guilty. It is the
general consensus that police officers who are accused of a crime, police
misconduct, or inappropriate behavior are most likely guilty (or assumed
guilty anyway).
Police officers will get their day in court. Even if the officer is found not
guilty in a court of law, the general public will assume the court was influ-
enced by his profession. In the minds of citizens, police officers will pro-
tect their own if it means writing favorable reports or looking the other way
when it comes down to police misconduct or inappropriate accusations. In
the mind-set of the public, police officers truly are above the law, in their
belief that everyone involved in the criminal justice system will ultimately
protect the police officer in some way. The officer accused of misconduct will
always carry that stigma of wrongdoing even though he has been exoner-
ated in a court of law. To his friends and colleagues in law enforcement, the
stigma of misconduct will overshadow any awards or accolades the officer
may have received.
Introduction xxv
Mark Twain once said that a lie can circle the world before the truth can finish
tying its shoes.
Let’s face it; these days the media is every officer’s nemesis. In this fairly new
phenomenon, the media uses its influence to directly shape our view of the
police world. Police personnel face endless challenges of self-destruction
and humiliation now that nearly everyone carries cell phones equipped with
video cameras that can and do record at the touch of a button. These vid-
eos, which expose situational chaos, largely illustrate unfortunate, out-of-
context, citizen encounters featuring police brutality that ultimately gives
law enforcement a “black eye.”
In all fairness, yes, there are times when force is needed to restore the
peace—there are a lot of bad guys out there. This point quickly escapes the
public when tweets go out and Facebook news feeds are inundated with video
clips featuring the “dark side” of police work. For reasons unknown to me,
these isolated, unflattering images take America and the world by storm,
receiving hundreds of thousands of “hits” in a relatively short amount of
time, while the true, “feel good” stories about the “good guys” in law enforce-
ment fail to grab our attention. Why?
The majority of police officers act courteously and professionally most of
the time. There is no shortage of videos showing police officers using exces-
sive force, much less any real discrimination that in many cases portrays law
enforcement in a downright false light. At the very least, these exposés are
questionable. It takes a keen and willing eye to look for the truth. While suc-
cessful at capturing an audience, there is no denying that the prevalence of
these videos “posted” on social media fails drastically at capturing the posi-
tive side of law enforcement. And it’s not fair. This phenomenon has become
a runaway train with no brakes. Every recorded detail, no matter how false
or contrived, one-sided or slanted, is easily believed; there is absolutely no
room for disclaimers.
In the early days of television and radio as many of you may remember,
everything was subject to a censorship process, fairly strict in comparison to
today’s standards. Currently, censorship is very limited—there are no filters
in social media. Videos taken by individuals do go viral, literally, in a matter
of hours. As a result, we have become victims of this “in your face” style of
media propaganda.
Sadly, this litany of audio and video recordings exhibiting “cops behav-
ing badly” has had a profound effect, not only on those in law enforcement
but also on how the general public views the police. The media has an unde-
niably powerful influence on how people form their opinions on the police,
xxvi Introduction
and they know it. Additionally, this type of pessimistic journalism has a
powerful and detrimental effect on police morale.
On any given day in every city in America, the newspapers are alive with
local, national, and world news articles featuring police stories. These articles
largely accentuate the negative aspects of law enforcement, which, in all hon-
esty, only truly happen in a very minute segment of the entire police profes-
sion. This blatant distortion of factual reporting has infiltrated social media
creating a real concern for law enforcement agencies.
The community-oriented policing (COP) initiative is a growing trend
in the majority of departments across the country: it focuses on building
strong ties with a wide array of community members. These mutually benefi-
cial relationships rely on trustworthy interactions and are not always easily
forged. The public can become quickly outraged and begin to believe that all
cops are abusive when negative news stories or videos surface. They seriously
undermine COP efforts.
The folks in Seattle, Washington, are a prime example of media influ-
ence and negative public perception. Recently, the Seattle Police Department
underwent a complete transformation after public allegations of racial
profiling and police brutality caused the Department of Justice (DOJ) to
launch a thorough investigation in 2011. This media-fueled inquiry uncov-
ered a pattern of constitutional violations in the department’s use-of-force
policies. In efforts to avoid a federal lawsuit, the Seattle Police Department
agreed to adhere to a federally drawn plan that included a new training and
reporting program, as well as an improved oversight strategy for the entire
department.
During the past three years, Seattle PD has endured intense pub-
lic scrutiny. The department has not only gone through four chiefs but
also recently appointed a fifth chief, Kathleen O’Toole, on June 23, 2014.
O’Toole, a former chief in Boston, became the first female to hold this posi-
tion in Seattle.
Chief O’Toole is facing a daunting endeavor; more than 120 Seattle offi-
cers have filed a lawsuit challenging the department’s new, federally man-
dated use-of-force policies that were put into place under the terms of the
reform program. She has publicly announced not only a firm commitment
to restore civic trust but also a willingness to reestablish an acceptable level
of pride in the officers of the organization. Chief O’Toole is motivated to
win back her officers through an intensive, hands-on approach, sans litiga-
tion. This will not be an easy task. The actions of a few coupled with bad
publicity have greatly contributed to overall poor citizen perception of this
department.
Naturally everyone antes in on the topic when a department suffers
such intense media exposure. Restaurants and taverns are filled with people
discussing the latest news reports. Heated discussions commonly include
Introduction xxvii
exclamations of “they need to just fire the chief!” The effects are real; our
citizens are full of frustration.
A cloud of doubt and mistrust develops when citizens are repeatedly
exposed to the media hammering images into their heads. When the DOJ
comes to town and becomes involved in any department’s affairs, isn’t it only
natural for the general public to question and mistrust the local police? There
may be a few reports that indicate constitutional violations, where the police
have obviously failed to practice professionalism and restraint. The media
targets the heated exchanges between police and loud and angry citizens. At
that point, is it any wonder that people, out of desperation, want to fire the
chief?
Brian O’Neill (2014), a Tacoma police officer and former Tacoma News
Tribune contributor of a column known as the Blue Byline, has noted that
“the legal definition of necessary force does not come complete with a mil-
lion examples; it’s simply one long sentence. That makes it open to interpre-
tation by people with broadly different mindsets. But such is life in a free
country.” O’Neill has a valid point; many times the political rhetoric behind
the scenes spills over the edge of common sense, leaving nothing but a trail
of officer dissatisfaction and civil disobedience in its wake. After all, no one
wants to be on the receiving end of the blame game.
Reporting to work each and every day in a department rife with contro-
versy and political unrest must be extremely difficult. To weather this type
of storm, every officer in the department is required to display a bravado
of strength at all times. And without question, to deflect all of the residual
media blowback on the streets, it is surely an enormous test to perpetually
act like “one of the good guys,” a “good example,” or at the very least field the
barrage of personal questions with patience and class. How tiring!
We are all well aware that the media for their actions would be classi-
fied as sharks. A moment of poor judgment, or one bad decision, and a good
cop can suddenly be demoted or fired for their actions. Regrettably, in the
media today, there is a common theme: police officers caught on tape in a
serious encounter that inevitably makes the officers look bad, and they are
immediately exploited on social media. The media will continuously show
the clip over and over again, showing angry crowds gathering at a scene of
the alleged incident, often making out more of the story than need be. Often
police officers are not given the chance to present their take on the encounter,
nor are they even aware that bystanders are capturing their every movement
on video or audio. But that’s too bad, and once it’s out there, no one can
unring that bell. Once again, the general public has spoon-fed its mind-set to
dislike the cops. What a shame!
In today’s world, it takes a unique individual to enter the field of law
enforcement; in many ways, it is a gamble with fate. Although every profes-
sion has its ups and downs, police work is another story entirely. Things can
xxviii Introduction
easily turn on a dime even if an officer does every single thing to the best of
his ability, every single day of his career. One negative “tweet,” or one out-
of-context video that makes its rounds on social media (which ultimately is
finding its way via “trending” onto the national news), will negatively influ-
ence the way our citizens view a police department and, to some, the entire
law enforcement profession.
from putting his hands on my weapon. No time to draw a less lethal weapon,
no time to reholster. Do I shoot an unarmed man? Fortunately, my partner
arrived. After a lengthy fight, we arrested him. I still do not know what I
would have done had he not shown up.
The second incident involved a preteen boy who had allegedly used a
knife in a robbery against another kid. When I found the suspect and his
mother at home, I politely attempted to address the issue. She heaped abuse
on me, calling me a “f-ing pig” and “stupid cracker,” among other choice
names. I endured it in silence for 10 straight minutes until my sergeant
arrived, listened briefly, and then told me to walk away. The score: hatred 1,
justice 0. None of this is meant to excuse the police response in Ferguson.
The cops share much of the blame for the subsequent riots. We learned in the
1990s, when Tacoma’s Hilltop was awash in gunfire and gangs, that hand-
cuffs and jail are merely a tourniquet. The real remedy is a strong partner-
ship between the people and their police. But that kind of partnership takes
willingness to step into the skin of another, including the skin in uniform.
Many officers may feel the stress of the job and are in denial regarding their
feelings. Officers may feel overwhelmed by circumstances or problems that
have occurred in their career, family, or personal life, and they do not want to
speak with anyone about these issues. Officers may be scared to seek any type
of professional assistance. This can be detrimental to a police officer in many
ways. In the officer’s mind, it is a Catch-22 situation. When an officer is psy-
chologically unfit for duty, he may be asked to relinquish their weapon and
ID, and cannot perform the job as a police officer. Requesting psychological
help can leak out to just one person, rumors spread, and there is no telling
the reaction by fellow officers. Just the stigma and being labeled by comrades,
superiors, or police management as possibly unstable or having psychologi-
cal issues may cause other officers to shun or not want to work with the offi-
cer. Other officers may view him or her as a liability on the street. The stigma
is there and it will never go away. Also, the officer may not be able to work
side jobs that are security based, because he cannot carry a weapon, causing
a financial burden as well. It may take the officer a considerable amount of
time to go through the process and attain help for his problems. One prob-
lem now has escalated and has created many additional issues that the officer
must embrace.
Superintendent Terry Hillard said that seeking help due to stress- and
job-related issues is recommended. Asking for emotional help in a time of
crisis is not weakness. It should not be held against an officer if he wishes to
discuss issues that are bothering him. Emotional issues should not be bottled
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been a fool," she sobbed at Horseface, grinding her fists in her eyes.
She dropped her hands and snapped at Goreck, "And it was you
what made me do it! I'll fix you for that! Out of my way, everybody!"
The Martians hiding in "The Martian's Fancy" and peeping from its
windows let out a shriek as she started for the borer. They'd read her
mind. They burst from the place like moths from an opened trunk,
and instantaneously scattered all over the landscape.
"You boys watch Goreck," Trixie ordered the Finchburgers who had
come on foot. "But you with the machines, come on—join the fun!"
The air not only was rent, but hamburgered as she turned on the
borer's blast-ray full-strength and dragged it straight for "The
Martian's Fancy". The mowing-machine chopped up a few street
weeds before it began to cut and bale the houses. The psithium
detectors hopped like kangaroos against the flimsy walls, battering
them down. Goreck's protests were inaudible in the clangor of
smashing dwellings and the crackle of crumbling masonry. His tears
of frustration and fury made tiny mudpies in the dust.
"I guess that'll show you how a lady ought to be treated," Trixie
observed rather enigmatically, but with grim satisfaction, after having
done to his town everything that the old Assyrian conquerors had
bragged about—except perhaps the piling up of human heads. "Now
give him a send-off, boys!"
But their blasts at his feet couldn't possibly keep up with him. Maybe
it was merely dust, but he ran so fast he seemed to smoke from
friction.
"I guess nobody's going to like me no more, after what I went and
done—losing my dandelions," Trixie sighed. They had started
homeward, and she was riding behind Horseface on Elmer. Most of
the pedestrians were riding the borer.
Horseface said, "We love you more than ever, Trix. We had to lose
you before we could see what fools we been."
Horseface went on, "Don't worry about the dandelions. For one
thing, while we was going through that tunnel you and Goreck made,
we found a whopping big vein of psithium—big enough to start
another rush! Now we can all go back to Terra if we want to—or if we
stay, you can build a whole blooming conservatory!"
Trixie stopped sobbing. Elmer rejoiced, because from her hiccoughs
he had felt as if she and Horseface had been dancing on his back.
Horseface said, "And anyway, your dandelions ain't lost. I knew it
when I came chasing after you to the fork in the road. Phorey
Yakkermunn the Martian was driving your jeep. Don't you remember
what we used to call him? 'Ears', that's what—'Ears' Yakkermunn,
'cause being a Martian and coming from a planet with rarefied air like
there is on Mars, his ears had to be extra big so they could catch
sounds."
"What's that got to do with my dandelions?"
"Phorey never could get used to the heavy air we got here on Venus.
It makes sounds too loud and hurts his ears. So he still does like he
used to, he stuffs them with cotton. Goreck told him to take the
dandelions to Saturday, didn't he? But with all that cotton in his ears,
you know where he took 'em? To Satterlee!"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive! After we took the fork in the road, we was following borer-
tracks, not tire-marks!"
She threw her heavy arms around him, planting a kiss full on his lips.
It not only made him squirm, but reminded him of Candy Derain's
suction cup bicycle. Candy probably had traveled a hundred miles or
so by now—straight up and down again—and actually couldn't have
gained more than a hundred feet straightaway.
"You're so resourceful, Horseface," Trixie breathed, with
constellations rather than mere stars in her eyes. "You remind me of
Mike. And I'm going to reward you for all you've done. I'm going to
marry you!"
Horseface didn't dare to groan. While Trixie clamped a loving paw on
his own hand almost squeezing it to pulp, he wished fervently that he
was alone on the far hills—anywhere but here—looking for psithium
nuggets.
But Trixie always had her way, and she wasn't going to stop having it
now.
"You're so masterful!" she wheezed.
And even Elmer, looking back over his shoulder, hung his head and
sighed.
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