"Don't pour kerosene straight into the buckets. If one gets knocked over in a panic, everyone nearby could burn to death."
"Where are the fire extinguishers? Gather them in a few locations. Anyone who knows how to use them, teach the others."
"Tape a knife to a pole and you've got a spear. We need at least ten of those."
"Move those shelves in the middle off to the sides. We need enough space. You can use the shelves to enclose an area against the wall for the elderly and children. That'll be your safe room."
"Everyone, get moving. Women, prepare some food, something hot. We've got plenty of supplies here. Eat the fresh meat and vegetables in cold storage first. Gather the canned food, chips, and other snacks together to keep in reserve."
"We've got plenty of bottled and jugged drinking water, but we'd better fill every container while there's still water in the pipes, for everyday washing."
"Everyone, get moving!"
Perhaps because certain disruptive elements were gone, under the leadership of the supermarket manager Bud, his staff, the painter David, and the three local elementary school teachers, almost everyone stranded in the supermarket was put to work, with everyone pooling their ideas and efforts.
Everyone was assigned at least some work, including the children. The older children were asked to help the adults look after the younger ones, telling them stories or leading them in games.
In the eighth hour after the thick fog shrouded the town, before the sun went down, everything seemed to be falling into
place.
When Nick learned that the elderly woman named Ripla had served as principal of the town's elementary school for over thirty years, he promptly asked her to lead everyone.
The results were just as good as expected. Whether they