the black fort of a Mrs。 Carmody。
Her pantsuit shone out with its same baleful resplendence。 She was talking； gesturing； her face hard and grim。 The two ladies in their bright clothes （but not as bright as Mrs。 Carmody's pantsuit； no； and her gigantic satchel of a purse was still tucked firmly under one doughy arm） were listening raptly。
〃She's another reason I want to get out； Drayton。 By night she'll have six people sitting with her。 If those pink bugs and the birds e back tonight； she'll have a whole congregation sitting with her by tomorrow morning。 Then we can start worrying about who she'll tell them to sacrifice to make it all better。 Maybe me； or you； or that guy Hatlen。 Maybe your kid。〃
〃That's idiocy；〃 I said。 But was it？ The cold chill crawling up my back said not necessarily。 Mrs。 Carmody's mouth moved and moved。 The eyes of the tourist ladies were fixed on her wrinkled lips。 Was it idiocy？ I thought of the dusty stuffed animals drinking at their looking…glass stream。 Mrs。 Carmody had power。 Even Steff； normally hardheaded and straight…from…the…shoulder； invoked the old lady's name with unease。
That crazy cunt； Miller had called her。 That witch。
〃The people in this market are going through a section…eight experience for sure；〃 Miller said。 He gestured at the red…painted beams framing the show…window segments 。。。 twisted and splintered and buckled out of shape。 〃Their minds probably feel like those beams look。 Mine sure as shit does。 I spent half of last night thinking I must have flipped out of my gourd； that I was probably in a straitjacket in Danvers； raving my head off about bugs and dinosaur birds and tentacles and that it would all go away just as soon as the nice orderly came along and shot a wad of Thorazine into my arm。〃 His small face wass trained and white。 He looked at Mrs。 Carmody and then back at me； ；； tell you it might happen。 As people get flakier she's going to look better and better to some of them。 And I don't want to be around if that happens。〃
Mrs。 Carmody's lips； moving and moving。 Her tongue dancing around her old lady's snaggle teeth。 She did look like a witch。 Put her in a pointy black hat and she would be perfect。 What was she saying to her two captured birds in their bright summer plumage ？
Arrowhead Project？ Black Spring the Abominations from cellars of the earth？ Human sacrifice？
Bullshit。
All the same
So what do you say。
〃I'll go this far；〃 I answered him。 〃We；ll try going over to the drug。 You； me； Ollie if he wants to go； one or two others； Then we'll talk it over again。〃 Even that gave me the feeling of walking out over an impossible drop on a narrow beam。 I wasn't going to help Billy by killing myself。 on the other hand； I wasn't going to help him by just sitting on my ass； either。 Twenty feet to the drugstore。 That wasn't so bad。 〃When？〃 he asked。 〃Give me an hour。〃 〃Sure；〃 he said。
IX。 The Expedition to the pharmacy。
I told Mrs。 Turman； and I told Amanda； and then I told Billy。 He seemed better this morning； he had eaten two donuts and a bowl of Special K for breakfast。 Afterward I raced him up and down two of the aisles and even got him giggling a little。 Kids are so adaptable that they can scar the living shit right out of You。 He was too pale； the flesh under his eyes was still puffed from the tears he had cried in the night； and his face had a horribly used look。 In a way it had bee like an old man's face； as if too much emotional voltage had been running behind it for too long； But he was still alive and still able to laugh 。。。 at least until he remembered where he was and what was happening。
After the windsprints we sat down with Amanda and Hattie Turman and drank Gatorade from paper cups and I told him I was going over to the drugstore with a few other people。
〃I don't want you to；〃 he said immediately； his face clouding。
〃It'll be all right； Big Bill； I'll bring you a Spiderman ic book。〃
〃I want you to stay here。〃 Now his face was not just cloudy； it was thundery。 I took his hand。 He pulled it away。 I took it again。
〃Billy； we have to get out of here sooner or later。 You see that； don't you ？〃
〃When the fog goes away _… But he spoke with no conviction at all。 He drank his Gatorade slowly and without relish。
〃Billy； it's been almost one whole day now。〃
〃I want Mommy。〃
〃Well； maybe this is the first step on the way to getting back to her。〃
Mrs。 Turman said； 〃Don't build the boy's hopes up； David。〃
〃What the hell；〃 I snapped at her； 〃the kid's got to hope for something。〃
She dropped her eyes。 〃Yes。 I suppose he does。〃
Billy took no notice of this。 〃Daddy 。。。 Daddy； there are things out there。 Things。〃
〃Yes； we know that。 But a lot of them … not all； but a lot …don't seem to e out until it's nighttime。〃
〃They'll wait；〃 he said。 His eyes were huge； centered on mine。 〃They'll wait in the fog 。。。 and when you can't get back inside； they'll e to eat you up。 Like in the fairy stories。〃 He hugged me with fierce； panicky tightness。 〃Daddy； please don't go。〃
I pried his arms loose as gently as I could and told him that I had to。 〃But I'll be back； Billy。〃
〃All right；〃 he said huskily； but he wouldn't look at me anymore。 He didn't believe I would be back。 It was on his face； which was no longer thundery but woeful and grieving。 I wondered again if I could be doing the right thing； putting myself at risk。 Then I happened to glance down the middle aisle and saw Mrs。 Carmody there。 She had gained a third listener； a man with a grizzled cheek and a mean and rolling bloodshot eye。 His haggard brow and shaking hands almost screamed the word hangover。 It was none other than your friend and his； Myron LaFleur。 The fellow who had felt no punction at all about sending a boy out to do a man's job。
That crazy cunt。 That witch。
I kissed Billy and hugged him hard。 Then I walked down to the front of the store…but not down the housewares aisle。 I didn't want to fall under her eye。
Three…quarters of the way down； Amanda caught up with me。 〃Do you really have to do this？〃 she asked。
〃Yes； I think so。〃
〃Forgive me if I say it sounds like so much macho bullshit to me。〃 There were spots of color high on her cheeks and her eyes were greener than ever。 She was highly … no； royally …pissed。
I took her arm and recapped my discussion with Dan Miller。 The riddle of the cars and the fact that no one from the pharmacy had joined us didn't move her much。 The business about Mrs。 Carmody did。
〃He could be right；〃 she said。
〃Do you really believe that？〃
〃I don't know。 There's a poisonous feel to that woman。 And if people are frightened badly enough for long enough； they'll turn to anyone that promises a solution。〃
〃But human sacrifice； Amanda？〃
〃The Aztecs were into it；〃 she said evenly。 〃Listen； David。 You e back。 If anything happens 。。。 anything 。。。 you e back。 Cut and run if you have to。 Not for me； what happened last night was nice； but that was last night。 e back for your boy。〃
〃Yes； I will。〃
〃I wonder；〃 she said； and now she looked like Billy； haggard and old。 it occurred to me that most of us looked that way。 But not Mrs。 Carmody。 Mrs。 Carmody looked younger somehow； and more vital。 As if she had e into her own。 As if。。。 as if she were thriving on it。
We didn't get going until 9：30 A。M。 Seven of us went： Ollie； Dan Miller； Mike Hatlen； Myron LaFleur's erstwhile buddy Jim （also hungover； but seemingly determined to find some way to atone）； Buddy Eagleton； myself。 The seventh was Hilda Reppler。 Miller and Hatlen tried halfheartedly to talk her out of ing。 She would have none of it。 I didn't even try。 I suspected she might be more petent than any of us； except maybe for Ollie。 She was carrying a small canvas shopping basket； and it was loaded with an arsenal of Raid and Black Flag spray cans； all of them uncapped and ready for action。 In her free hand she held a Spaulding Jimmy Connors tennis racket from a display of sporting goods in Aisle 2。
〃What you gonna do with that； Mrs。 Reppler？〃 Jim asked。
〃I don't know；〃 she said。 She had a low； raspy； petent voice。 〃But it feels right in my hand。〃 She looked him over closely； and her eye was cold。 〃Jim Grondin； isn't it？ Didn't I hav