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〃I'll e down and look； champ。 Go on down yourself。〃 I could feel Steff tensing against me。 〃Go around the other side； kiddo。〃
〃Yeah！ Okay！〃
He tore past us； taking the stone steps that led around the west end of the house two by two。 He disappeared with his shirttail flying； trailing back one word … 〃Wow！〃 … as he spotted some other piece of destruction。
〃He knows about the wires； Steffy。〃 I took her gently by the shoulders。 〃He's scared of them。 That's good。 it makes him safe。〃
One tear tracked down her cheek。 〃David； I'm scared。〃
〃e on！ It's over。〃
〃Is it？ Last winter 。。。 and the late spring 。。。 they called it a black spring in town 。。。 they said there hadn't been one in these parts since 1888…〃
〃They〃 undoubtedly meant Mrs。 Carmody； who kept the Bridgton Antiquary； a junk shop that Steff liked to rummage around in sometimes。 Billy loved to go with her。 In one of the shadowy； dusty back rooms； stuffed owls with gold…ringed eyes spread their wings forever as their feet endlessly grasped varnished logs； stuffed raccoons stood in a trio around a 〃stream〃 that was a long fragment of dusty mirror； and one moth…eaten wolf； which was foaming sawdust instead of saliva around his muzzle； snarled a creepy eternal snarl。 Mrs。 Carmody claimed the wolf was shot by her father as it came to drink from Stevens Brook one September afternoon in 1901。
The expeditions to Mrs。 Carmody's Antiquary shop worked well for my wife and son。 She was into carnival glass and he was into death in the name of taxidermy。 But I thought that the old woman exercised a rather unpleasant hold over Steff's mind； which was in all other ways practical and hardheaded。 She had found Steff's vulnerable spot； a mental Achilles' heel。 Nor was Steff the only one in town who was fascinated by Mrs。 。 Carmody's gothic pronouncements and folk remedies （which were always prescribed in God's name）。
Stump…water would take off bruises if your husband was the sort who got a bit too free with his fists after three drinks。 You could tell what kind of a winter was ing by counting the rings on the caterpillars in June or by measuring the thickness of August honeyb。 And now； good God protect and preserve us； THE BLACK SPRING OF 1888 （add your own exclamation points； as many as you think it deserves）。 I had also heard the story。 it's one they like to pass around up here…if the spring is cold enough； the ice on the lakes will eventually turn as black as a rotted tooth。 It's rare； but hardly a once…in…a…century occurrence。 They like to pass it around； but I doubt that many could pass it around with as much conviction as Mrs。 Carmody。
〃We had a hard winter and a late spring；〃 I said。 〃Now we're having a hot summer。 And we had a storm but it's over。 You're not acting like yourself； Stephanie。〃
〃That wasn't an ordinary storm；〃 she said in that same husky voice。
〃No；〃 I said。 〃I'll go along with you there。〃
I had heard the Black Spring story from Bill Giosti； who owned and operated…after a fashion…Giosti's Mobil in Casco Village。 Bill ran the place with his three tosspot sons （with occasional help from his four tosspot grandsons 。。。 when they could take time off from tinkering with their snowmobiles and dirtbikes）。 Bill was seventy； looked eighty； and could still drink like twenty…three when the mood was on him。 Billy and I had taken the Scout in for a fill…up the day after a surprise mid…May storm dropped nearly a foot of wet； heavy snow on the region； covering the new grass and flowers。 Giosti had been in his cups for fair； and happy to pass along the Black Spring story； along with his own original twist。 But we get snow in May sometimes； it es and it's gone two days later。 It's no big deal。
Steff was glancing doubtfully at the downed wires again。 〃When will the power pany e？〃
〃Just as soon as they can。 It won't be long。 I just don't want you to worry about Billy。 His head's on pretty straight。 He forgets to pick up his clothes； but he isn't going to go and step on a bunch of live lines。 He's got a good； healthy dose of self…interest。〃 I touched a corner of her mouth and it obliged by turning up in the beginning of a smile。 〃Better？〃
〃You always make it seem better；〃 she said； and that made me feel good。
From the lakeside of the house Billy was yelling for us to e and see。
〃e on；〃 I said。 〃Let's go look at the damage。〃
She snorted ruefully。 〃if I want to look at damage； I can go sit in my living room。〃
〃Make a little kid happy； then。〃
We walked down the stone steps hand in hand。 We had just reached the first turn in them when Billy came from the other direction at speed； almost knocking us over。
〃Take it easy；〃 Steff said； frowning a little。 Maybe； in her mind； she was seeing him skidding into that deadly nest of live wires instead of the two of us。
〃You gotta e see！〃 Billy panted。 〃The boathouse is all bashed！ There's a dock on the rocks 。。。 and trees in the boat cove 。。。 Jesus Christ！〃
〃Billy Drayton！〃 Steff thundered。
〃Sorry； Ma…but you gotta…wow！ 〃 He was gone again。
〃Having spoken； the doomsayer departs；〃 I said； and that made Steff giggle again。 〃Listen； after I cut up those trees across the driveway； I'll go by the Central Maine Power office on Portland Road。 Tell them what we got。 Okay？〃
〃Okay；〃 she said gratefully。 〃When do you think you can go ~；〃
Except for the big tree…the one with the moldy corset of moss…it would have been an hour's work。 With the big one added in； I didn't think the job would be done until eleven or so。
〃I'll give you lunch here； then。 But you'll have to get some things at the market for me 。。。 we're almost out of milk and butter。 Also 。。。 well； I'll have to make you a list。〃
Give a woman a disaster and she turns squirrel。 I gave her a hug and nodded。 We went on around the house。 it didn't take more than a glance to understand why Billy had been a little overwhelmed。
〃Lordy；〃 Steff said in a faint voice。
From where we stood we had enough elevation to be able to see almost a quarter of a mile of shoreline…the Bibber property to our left； our own； and Brent Norton's to our right。
The huge old pine that had guarded our boat cove had been sheared off halfway up。 What was left looked like a brutally sharpened pencil； and the inside of the tree seemed a glistening and defenseless white against the age…and…weatherdarkened outer bark。 A hundred feet of tree； the old pine's top half； lay partly submerged in our shallow cove。 it occurred to me that we were very lucky our little Star…Cruiser wasn't sunk underneath it。 The week before； it had developed engine trouble and it was still at the Naples marina； patiently waiting its turn。
On the other side of our little piece of shorefront； the boathouse my father had built…the boathouse that had once housed a sixty…foot Chris…Craft when the Drayton family fortunes had been at a higher mark than they were today … lay under another big tree。 It was the one that had stood on Norton's side of the property line； I saw。 That raised the first flush of anger。 The tree had been dead for five years and he should have long since had it taken down。 Now it was three…quarters of the way down； our boathouse was propping it up。 The roof had taken on a drunken； swaybacked look。 The wind had swirled shingles from the hole the tree had made all over the point of land the boathouse stood on。 Billy's description； 〃bashed；〃 was as good as any。
〃That's Norton's tree！〃 Steff said。 And she said it with such hurt indignation that I had to smile in spite of the pain I felt。 The flagpole was lying in the water and Old Glory floated soggily beside it in a tangle of lanyard。 And I could imagine Norton's response： Sue me。
Billy was on the rock breakwater； examining the dock that had washed up on the stones。 It was painted in jaunty blue and yellow stripes。 He looked back over his shoulder at us and yelled gleefully； 〃It's the Martinses'； isn't it？〃
〃 Yeah； it is；〃 I said。 〃Wade in and fish the flag out； would you； Big Bill？〃
〃Sure！〃
To the right of the breakwater was a small sandy beach。 In 1941； before Pearl Harbor paid off the Great Depression in blood； my dad hired a man to truck in that fine beach sand…six dumptrucks full…and to spread it out to a depth that is about nipple…high on me； say five feet。 The workman charged eighty bucks for the job； and the sand has never moved。 just as well； you know； you can't put a sandy beach in on your land now。 Now that the sewerage runoff from the booming cottage…building industry has killed most of the fish and made the rest of them unsafe to eat； the EPA has forbidden installing sand beaches。 They might upset the ecology of the lake； you see； and it is presently against the law for anyone except land developers to do that。
Billy went for the flag … then stopped。 At the same moment I felt Steff go rigid against me； and I saw it myself。 The Harrison side of the lake was gone。 It had been buried under a line of bright…white mist； like a fair…weather cloud fallen to earth。
My dream of the night before recurred； and when Steff asked me what it was； the word that nearly jumped first from my mouth was God。
〃David？〃
You couldn't see even a hint of the shoreline over there； but years of looking at Long Lak