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while he… Louis watched it billow down over Jud's body like a collapsing parachute； mercifully covering that dead face。 Almost immediately； tiny rosepetals of deepest； darkest scarlet began to stain the white lawn。
〃I'm sorry；〃 he said for a third time。 〃So sor…〃
Then something moved overhead； something scraped； and the word broke off between his lips。 It had been soft； it had been stealthy； but it had been deliberate。 Oh yes； he was convinced of that。 A sound he had been meant to hear。
His hands wanted to tremble； but he would not allow them。 He stepped over to the kitchen table with its checkered oilcloth covering and reached into his pocket。 He removed three more Becton…Dickson syringes； stripped them of their paper coverings； and laid them out in a neat row。 He removed three more multidose vials and filled each of the syringes with enough morphine to kill a horse…or Hanratty the bull； if it came to that。 He put them in his pocket again。
He left the kitchen； crossed the living room； and stood at the base of the stairs。
〃Cage？〃
From somewhere in the shadows above there came a giggling
…a cold and sunless laughter that made the skin on Louis's back prickle。
He started up。
It was a long walk to the top of those stairs。 He could well imagine a condemned man taking a walk almost as long （and as horribly short） to the platform of a scaffold with his hands tied behind his back； knowing that he would piss when he could no longer whistle。
He reached the top at last； one hand in his pocket； staring only at the wall。 How long did he stand that way？ He did not know。 He could now feel his sanity beginning to give way。 This was an actual sensation； a true thing。 It was interesting。 He imagined a tree overloaded with ice in a terrible storm would feel this way… if trees could feel anything…shortly before toppling。 It was interesting。 。 。 and it was sort of amusing。
〃Gage； want to go to Florida with me？〃
That giggle again。
Louis turned and was greeted by the sight of his wife； to whom he had once carried a rose in his teeth； lying halfway down the hall； dead。 Her legs were splayed out as Jud's had been。 Her back and head were cocked at an angle against the wall。 She looked like a woman who has gone to sleep while reading in bed。
He walked down toward her。
Hello； darling； he thought； you came home。
Blood had splashed the wallpaper in idiot shapes。 She had been stabbed a dozen times； two dozen； who knew？ His scalpel had done this work。
Suddenly he saw her； really saw her； and Louis Creed began to scream。
His screams echoed and racketed shrilly through this house where now only death lived and walked。 Eyes bulging； face livid； hair standing on end； he screamed； the sounds came from his swollen throat like the bells of hell； terrible shrieks that signaled the end not of love but of sanity； in his mind all the hideous images were suddenly unloosed at once。 Victor Pascow dying on the infirmary carpet； Church ing back with bits of green plastic in his whiskers； Gage's baseball cap lying in the road； full of blood； but most of all that thing he had seen near Little Cod Swamp； the thing that had pushed the tree over； the thing with the yellow eyes； the Wendigo； creature of the north country； the dead thing whose touch awakens unspeakable appetites。
Rachel had not just been killed。
Something had been。 。 。 something had been at her。
（！ CLICK ！）
That click was in his head。 It was the sound of some relay fusing and burning out forever； the sound of lightning stroking down in a direct hit； the sound of a door opening。
He looked up numbly； the scream still shivering in his throat and here was Cage at last； his mouth smeared with blood； his chin dripping； his lips pulled back in a hellish grin。 In one hand he held Louis's scalpel。
As he brought it down； Louis pulled back with no real thought at all。 The scalpel whickered past his face； and Gage overbalanced。 He is as clumsy as Church； Louis thought。 Louis kicked his feet from under him。 Gage fell awkwardly； and Louis was on him before he could get up； straddling him； one knee pinning the hand which held the scalpel。
〃No；〃 the thing under him panted。 Its face twisted and writhed。 Its eyes were baleful； insectile in their stupid hate。 〃No； no； no…〃
Louis clawed for one of the hypos； got it out。 He would have to be quick。 The thing under him was like a greased fish and it would not let go of the scalpel no matter how hard he bore down on its wrist。 And its face seemed to ripple and change even as he looked at it。 It was Jud's face； dead and staring； it was the dented； ruined face of Victor Pascow； eyes rolling mindlessly； it was； mirrorlike； Louis's own； so dreadfully pale and lunatic。 Then it changed again and became the face of that creature in the woods…the low brow； the dead yellow eyes； the tongue long and pointed and bifurcated； grinning and hissing。
〃No； no； no…no…no…〃
It bucked beneath him。 The hypo flew out of Louis's hand and rolled a short way down the hail。 He groped for another； brought it out； and jammed it straight down into the small of Gage's back。
It screamed beneath him； body straining and sunfishing； nearly throwing him off。 Grunting； Louis got the third syringe and jammed this one home in Gage's arm； depressing the plunger all the way。 He got off then and began to back slowly down the hallway。 Cage got slowly to his feet and began to stagger toward him。 Five steps and the scalpel fell from its hand。 It struck the floor blade first and stuck itself in the wood； quivering。 Ten steps and that strange yellow light in its eyes began to fade。 A dozen and it fell to its knees。
Now Cage looked up at him and for a moment Louis saw his son…his real son…his face unhappy and filled with pain。
〃Daddy！〃 he cried； and then fell forward on his face。
Louis stood there for a moment； then went to Gage； moving carefully； expecting some trick。 But there was no trick； no sudden leap with clawed hands。 He slid his fingers expertly down Gage's throat； found the pulse； and held it。 He was then a doctor for the last time in his life； monitoring the pulse； monitoring until there was nothing； nothing inside； nothing outside。
When it was gone at last； Louis got up and sauntered down the hail to a far corner。 He crouched there； pulling himself into a ball； cramming himself into the corner； tighter and tighter。 He found he could make himself smaller if he put a thumb in his mouth and so he did that。
He remained that way for better than two hours。 。 。 and then； little by little； a dark and oh…so…plausible idea came to him。 He pulled his thumb from his mouth。 It made a small pop。 Louis got himself
（hey…ho let's go）
going again。
In the room where Gage had hidden； he stripped the sheet from the bed and took it out into the hail。 He wrapped his wife's body in it； gently； with love。 He was humming but did not realize it。
He found gasoline in Jud's garage。 Five gallons of it in a red can next to the Lawnboy。 More than enough。 He began in the kitchen where Jud still lay under the Thanksgiving tablecloth。 He drenched that； then moved into the living room with the can still upended； spraying amber gas over the rug； the sofa； the magazine rack； the chairs； and so out into the downstairs hail and toward the back bedroom。 The smell of gas was strong and rich。
Jud's matches were by the chair where he had kept his fruitless watch； on top of his cigarettes。 Louis took them。 At the front door he tossed a lighted match back over his shoulder and stepped out。 The blast of the heat was immediate and savage； making the skin on his neck feel too small。 He shut the door neatly and only stood on the porch for a moment； watching the orange flickers behind Norma's curtains。 Then he crossed the porch； pausing for a moment； remembering the beers he and Jud had drunk here a million years ago； listening to the soft； gathering roar of fire within the house。
Then he stepped out。
62
Steve Masterton came around the curve just before Louis's house and saw the smoke immediately…not from Louis's place； but from the house that belonged to the old duck across the street。
He had e out this morning because he had been worried about Louis…deeply worried。 Chariton had told him about Rachel's call of the day before； and that had set him to wondering just where Louis was。 。 。 and what he was up to。
His worry was vague； but it itched at his mind…he wasn't going to feel right until he had gone out there and checked to see if things were okay。 。 。 or as okay as they could be under the circumstances。
The spring weather had emptied the infirmary like white magic； and Surrendra had told him to go ahead； he could handle whatever came up。 So Steve had jumped onto his Honda； which he had liberated from the garage only last weekend； and headed out for Ludlow。 Maybe he pushed the cycle a little faster than was strictly necessary； but the worry was there； it gnawed。 And with it came the absurd feeling that he was already too late。 Stupid； of course； but in the pit of his stomach there was a feeling similar to the one he'd had there last fall when that Pascow thing c