from his hand when the lid swings down. They manage to drag Doc from the chamber a few seconds before the jump executes, whereupon the chamber malfunctions spectacularly and bursts into flames. Doc apologizes profusely for his behavior, which the group accepts. After some time to recover, the companions make their way to the MAT-TRANS chamber; Michael accompanies them. Ryan closes the door and initiates the jump. Cultural references J.B.'s knowledge of vehicles is said to have come (in part) from a book he found in the ruins of a store called "Needful Things". One of the mailboxes Michael throws a rock at is labeled with the name "Floyd Thursby", the name given to Sam Spade of the person he is to follow at the beginning of The Maltese Falcon. Shortly before separating from his friends, Doc Tanner spends some time reading a book of collected lyrics and poetry from Bob Dylan. External links JamesAxler.com 1993 American novels Deathlands novels 1993 science fiction novels Works published under a pseudonym Harlequin books