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own age； but he had seemed so much younger。
His cigarette drooped toward the grass； and he tossed it into the fire。 He looked at it； the clear yellow burn so different； so much cleaner； from the way the devil…grass burned。 The air was wonderfully cool； and he lay down with his back to the fire。 Far away； through the gash that led the way into the mountains； he heard the thick mouth of the perpetual thunder。 He slept And dreamed。
Susan； his beloved； was dying before his eyes：
As he watched； his arms held by two villagers on each side； his neck dog…caught in a huge； rusty iron collar； she was dying。 Even through the thick stench of the fire Roland could smell the dankness of the pit。。。 and he could see the color of his own madness。 Susan； lovely girl at the window； horse…drover's daughter。
She was turning black in the flames； her skin cracking open。
〃The boy！〃 She was screaming。 〃Roland； the boy！〃
He whirled； pulling his captors with him。 The collar ripped at his neck and he heard the hitching； strangled sounds that were ing from his own throat。 There was a sickish…sweet smell of barbecuing meat on the air。
The boy was looking down at him from a window high above the courtyard； the same window where Susan； who had taught him to be a man； had once sat and sung the old songs； 〃Hey Jude〃 and 〃Ease on Down the Road〃 and 〃A Hundred Leagues to Ban…berry Cross。 〃He looked out from the window like the statue of an alabaster saint in a cathedral。 His eyes were marble。 A spike had been driven through fake 's forehead。
The gunslinger felt the strangling ripping scream that signaled the beginning of his lunacy pull up from the root of his belly。
〃Nnnnnnnnnn Roland grunted a cry as he felt the fire singe him。 He sat bolt upright in the dark； still feeling the dream around him； strangling him like the collar he had worn。 In his twistings and turnings he had thrown one hand against the dying coals of the fire。 He put the hand to his face； feeling the dream flee； leaving only the stark picture of Jake； plaster…white； a saint for demons。
〃Nnnnnnnnnn He glared around at the mystic darkness of the willow grove； both guns out and ready。 His eyes were red loopholes in the last glow from the fire。
〃Nnnnnn…nnn Jake。
The gunslinger was up and on the run。 A bitter circle of moon had risen and he could follow the boy's track in the dew。 He ducked under the first of the willows； splashed through the spring； and legged up the far bank； skidding in the dampness （even now his body could relish it）。 Willow withes slapped at his face。 The trees were thicker here； and the moon was blotted out Tree trunks rose in lurching shadows。 The grass； now knee…high； slapped against him。 Half rotted dead branches reached for his shins； his cojones。 He paused for a moment； lifting his head and scenting at the air。 A ghost of a breeze helped him。 The boy did not smell good； of course； neither of them did。 The gunslinger's nostrils flared like those of an ape。 The odor of sweat was faint； oily； unmistakable。 He crashed over a deadfall of grass and bramble and downed branches； sprinted down a tunnel of overhanging willow and sumac。 Moss struck his shoulders。 Some clung in sighing gray tendrils。
He clawed through a last barricade of willows and came to a clearing that looked up at the stars and the highest peak of the range； gleaming skull…white at an impossible altitude。
There was a ring of tall； black stones which looked like some sort of surreal animal…trap in the moonlight In the center was a table of stone。。。 an altar。 Very old； rising out of the ground on a powerful arm of basalt
The boy stood before it； trembling back and forth。 His hands shook at his sides as if infused with static electricity。 The gunslinger called his name sharply； and Jake responded with that inarticulate sound of negation。 The faint smear of face； almost hidden by the boy's left shoulder； looked both terrified and exalted。 And there was something else。
The gunslinger stepped inside the ring and Jake screamed； recoiling and throwing up his arms。 Now his face could be seen clearly； and indexed。 The gunslinger saw fear and terror warring with an almost excruciating grimace of pleasure。
The gunslinger felt it touch him the spirit of the oracle； the succubus。 His loins were suddenly filled with rose light； a light that was soft yet hard。 He felt his head twisting； his tongue thickening and being excruciatingly sensitive to even the spittle that coated it
He did not think when he pulled the half…rotted jawbone from the pocket where he had carried it since he found it in the lair of the Speaking Demon at the way station。 He did not think； but it did not frighten him to operate on pure instinct He held the jawbone's frozen； prehistoric grin up in front of him； holding his other arm out stiffly； first and last fingers poked out in the ancient forked talisman； the ward against the evil eye。
The current of sensuality was whipped away from him like a drape。
Jake screamed again。
The gunslinger walked to him； and held the jawbone in front of Jake's warring eyes。 A wet sound of agony。 The boy tried to pull his gaze away； could not And suddenly both eyes rolled up to show the whites。 Jake collapsed。 His body struck the earth limply； one hand almost touching the altar。 The gunslinger dropped to one knee and picked him up。 He was amazingly light； as dehydrated as a November leaf from their long walk through the desert
Around him Roland could feel the presence that dwelt in the circle of stones； whirring with a jealous anger its prize had been taken from it When the gunslinger passed out of the circle； the sense of frustrated jealousy faded。 He carried Jake back to their camp。 By the time they got there； the boy's twitching unconsciousness had bee deep sleep。 The gunslinger paused for a moment above the gray ruin of the fire。 The moonlight on Jake's face reminded him again of a church saint； alabaster purity all unknown。 He suddenly hugged the boy； knowing that he loved him。 And it seemed that he could almost feel the laughter from the man in black； someplace far above them。
Jake was calling him； that was how he awoke。 He had tied the boy firmly to one of the tough bushes that grew nearby； and the boy was hungry and upset By the sun； it was almost nine…thirty。
〃Why'd you tie me up？〃 Jake asked indignantly as the gunslinger loosened the thick knots in the blanket 〃I wasn't going to run away！〃
〃You did run away；〃 the gunslinger said； and the expression on Jake's face made him smile。 〃I had to go out and get you。 You were sleepwalking。〃
〃I was？〃 Jake looked at him suspiciously。
The gunslinger nodded and suddenly produced the jawbone。 He held it in front of Jake's face and Jake flinched away from it； raising his arm。
〃See？〃
Jake nodded； bewildered。
〃I have to go off for a while now。 I may be gone the whole day。 So listen to me； boy。 It's important If sunset es and I'm not back 〃
Fear flashed on Jake's face。 〃You're leaving me！〃
The gunslinger only looked at him。
〃No；〃 Jake said after a moment 〃I guess you're not。〃
〃I want you to stay right here while I'm gone。 And if you feel strange funny in any way you pick up this bone and hold it in your hands。〃
Hate and disgust crossed Jake's face； mixed with bewilderment。 〃I couldn't。 I 。 。 。 I just couldn't〃
〃You can。 You may have to。 Especially after midday。 It's important。 Dig？〃
〃Why do you have to go away？〃 Jake burst out。
〃I just do。〃
The gunslinger caught another fascinating glimpse of the steel that lay under the boy's surface； as enigmatic as the story he had told about ing from a city where the buildings were so tall they actually scraped the sky。
〃All right；〃 Jake said。
The gunslinger laid the jawbone carefully on the ground next to the ruins of the fire； where it grinned up through the grass like some eroded fossil that has seen the light of day after a night of five thousand years。 Jake would not look at it His face was pale and miserable。 The gunslinger wondered if it would profit them for him to put the boy to sleep and question him； but he decided there would be little gain。 He knew well enough that the spirit of the stone circle was surely a demon； and very likely an oracle as well。 A demon with no shape； only a kind of unformed sexual glare with the eye of prophecy。 He wondered sardonically if it might not be the soul of Sylvia Pittston； the giant woman whose religious huckstering had led to the final showdown in Tull。。。 but knew it was not。 The stones in the circle had been ancient； this particular demon's territory staked out long before the earliest shade of pre…history。 But the gunslinger knew the forms of speaking quite well and did not think the boy would h
The gunslinger opened his tobacco poke and pawed through it； pushing the dry strands of leaf aside until he came to a minuscule object wrapped in a fragment of white paper。 He hefted it in his hand； looking absently up at the sky。 Then he unwrapped it and held the contents a tiny white pill with edges that had been much worn with traveling in his hand。
Jake looked at it curiously。 〃What's that？〃
The gunslinger uttered a short laugh。 〃The philosopher's stone；〃 he said。 〃The story that Cort used to tell us was that the Old Gods pissed over the desert and made mescaline。