ad。 He missed the warehouse； and he missed the access road； but then he went in hard。〃 Preliminary reports indicate no maintenance problems with the C404； which is powered by two 375 horsepower turbo…charged piston engines。 The make has an excellent safety record overall； and the aircraft which crashed had less than 9000 hours on its clock； according to Ocean State Airways President George Ferguson。 Officials from the Civil Aeronautics Board （CAB） and the Federal Aviation Administration （FAA） have launched a joint investigation of the crash。
Killed in the accident； the first in Ocean State's four…year history； were John Chesterton； the pilot； and Avery Goldstein； the co…pilot； both of Pawtucket。 Robert Weiner； Tina Barfield； and Dallas Mayr have been identified as three of the downed aircraft's five passengers。 The identities of the other two； thought to have been husband and wife； have been withheld pending notification of next of kin。
Ocean State Airways is most monly used by passengers connecting with larger airlines operating out of LaGuardia Airport。 According to Mr。 Ferguson； OSA has suspended operations at least until the end of the week and perhaps longer。 〃I'm devastated by this；〃 he said。 〃I've flown that particular craft many times； and would have sworn there wasn't a safer plane in the skies； large or small。 I flew it down from Boston myself on Monday； and everything was fine with it then。 I don't have any idea what could have caused both engines to shut down the way they did。 One； possibly； but not both。〃
From John Kenton's diary
April 1； 1981
There's an old Chinese curse which goes； 〃May you live in interesting times。〃 I think it must have been especially aimed at folks who keep diaries （and if they follow Roger's edict； that number will soon be increased by three： Bill Gelb； Sandra Jackson； and Herb 〃Give Me The World And Let Me Boss It〃 Porter）。 I sat here in my little home office…which is actually just a corner of the kitchen to which I have added a shelf and a bright light…pounding the keys of my typewriter for nearly five hours last night。 Won't be that long tonight； among other things； I have a manuscript to read。 And I am going to read it； I think。 The dozen or so pages I got through on my way home have pretty well convinced me that this is the one I've been looking for all along； without even really knowing it。
But at least one person of my recent acquaintance won't be reading it。 Not even if it's as great as Great Expectations。 （Not that it will be； I have to keep reminding myself that I work at Zenith House； not Random House。） Poor woman。 I don't know if she was telling the exact truth about wanting to do us a Good Turn； but even if she was lying through her teeth； no one should have to die like that； dropped out of the sky and crushed to death in a burning steel tube。
I arrived at work even earlier today； wanting to check the mail room。 OUIJA says stop wasting your time； she told me。 The one you're looking for is in the purple box on the bottom shelf。 Way in the corner。 I wanted to check that corner even before I put on the coffee。 And to get another look at Zenith the ivy； while I was down there。
At first I thought I'd beaten Roger this time； because there was no clack…clack from his typewriter。 But the light was on； and when I peeked in the open door of his office； there he was； just sitting behind his desk and looking out at the street。
〃Morning； boss；〃 I said。 I thought he'd be ready and raring to go； but he just sat there in a semi…slump； pale and disheveled； as if he'd spent the whole night tossing and turning。
〃I told you not to encourage her；〃 he said without turning from the window。
I walked over and looked out。 The old lady with the guitar； the wild white hair； and the sign about letting Jesus grow in your heart was over there in front of Smiler's again。 I couldn't hear what she was singing； at least。 There was that much。
〃You look like you had a tough night；〃 I said。
〃Tougher morning。 You seen the Times？〃
I had； as a matter of fact…the front page； anyway。 There was the usual report on Reagan's condition； the usual stuff about unrest in the mideast； the usual corruption…in…government story； and the usual bottom…of…the…page mand to support the Fresh Air Fund。 Nothing that struck me as of any immediate concern。 Nevertheless； I felt a little stirring of the hairs on the back of my neck。
The Times was sitting folded over in the OUT half of Roger's IN/OUT basket。 I took it。
〃First page of the B section；〃 he said； still looking out the window。 At the bum； presumably。 。 。 or do you call a female of the species a bumette？
I turned to the National Report and saw a picture of an airplane…what was left of one； anyway…in a weedy field littered with cast…off engine parts。 In the background； a bunch of people were standing behind a cyclone fence and gawking。 I scanned the headline and knew at once。
〃Barfield？〃 I asked。
〃Barfield；〃 he agreed。
〃Christ！〃
〃Christ had nothing to do with it。〃
I scanned the piece without really reading it； just looking for her name。 And there she was： Tina Barfield of Central Falls； source of that old adage 〃if you play around the buzz…saw too long； sooner or later someone is gonna get cut。〃 Or burned alive in a Cessna Titan； she should have added。
〃She said she'd be safe from Carlos if she did a genuine Good Turn；〃 Roger said。 〃That might lead some to deduce that what she did us was just the opposite。〃
〃I believed her about that；〃 I said。 I think I was telling the truth； but whether I was or wasn't； I didn't want Roger deciding to uproot the ivy growing in Riddley's closet because of what had happened to Tina Barfield。 Shocked as I was； I didn't want that。 Then I saw…or maybe intuited…that Roger's mind wasn't running that way； and I relaxed a little。
〃Actually； I did； too；〃 he said。 〃She was at least trying to do a Good Turn。〃
〃Maybe she just didn't do it soon enough；〃 I said。
He nodded。 〃Maybe that was it。 I read the short story she mentioned； by the way…the one by Jerome Bixby。〃
〃'It's a Good Life。 '〃
〃Right。 By the time I'd read two pages； I recognized it as the basis of a famous Twilight Zone episode starring Billy Mumy。 What the hell ever happened to Billy Mumy？〃
I didn't give Shit One about what happened to Billy Mumy； but thought it might be a bad idea to say so。
〃The story's about a little boy who's a super…psychic。 He destroys the whole world； apparently； except for his own little circle of friends and relatives。 Those people he holds hostage； killing them if they dare to cross him in any way。〃
I remembered the episode。 The little kid hadn't pulled out anyone's heart or caused any planes to crash； but he'd turned one character…his big brother or maybe a neighbor…into a jack…in…the…box。 And when he made a mess； he simply sent it away into the cornfield。
〃Based on that； can you imagine what living with Carlos must have been like？〃 Roger asked me。
〃What are we going to do； Roger？〃
He turned from the window then and looked at me straight on。 Frightened…I was； too…but determined。 I respected him for that。 And I respect myself； too。
I think。
〃We're going to make Zenith House into a profitable concern if we can；〃 he said； 〃and then we're going to jam about nine gallons of black ink in Harlow Enders's eye。 I don't know if that plant is really a modern…day version of Jack's beanstalk or not； but if it is； we're going to climb it and get the golden harp； the golden goose； and all the gold doubloons we can carry。 Agreed？〃
I stuck out my hand。 〃Agreed； boss。〃
He shook it。 I haven't had many fine moments before nine in the morning； at least not as an adult； but that was one of them。
〃We're also going to be careful；〃 he said。 〃Agreed there？〃
〃Agreed。〃 It's only tonight； dear diary； that I realize what you're left with if you take the a out of agreed。 I would be telling less than the truth if I didn't say that sort of haunts me。
We talked a little more。 I wanted to go down and check on Zenith； Roger suggested we wait for Bill； Herb； and Sandra； then do it together。