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de of the road； the beach began。 Tall weatherbeaten rocks jutted out of the grayish sand； grayish water foamed onto the shore。 Jack looked leftward down the street。 A short distance past the hotel； on the inland side of the beach road； stood a long crumbling structure like a sliced…off wedding cake。 Above it a wooden sign with a great hole in it read KINGSLA TEL。 The Kingsland Motel； Jack remembered； where Morgan Sloat had installed himself and his little boy during his obsessive inspections of the black hotel。 A flash of white that was Sunlight Gardener roamed farther up the street； clearly berating several of the black…suited men and flapping his hand toward the hill。 He doesn't know I'm down here already； Jack realized as one of the men began to trudge across the beach road； looking from side to side。 Gardener made another abrupt； manding gesture； and the limousine parked at the foot of Main Street wheeled away from the hotel and began to coast alongside the man in the black suit。 He unbuttoned his jacket as soon as he hit the sidewalk of Main Street and took out a pistol from a shoulder holster。
In the limousines the drivers turned their heads and stared up the hill。 Jack blessed his luck…five minutes later； and a renegade Wolf with an oversized gun would have ended his quest for that great singing thing in the hotel。
He could see only the top two floors of the hotel； and the madly spinning devices attached to the architectural extravagances on the roof。 Because of his worm's…eye angle； the break…water bisecting the beach on the right side of the hotel seemed to rear up twenty feet or more； marching down the sand and on into the water。
E NOW E NOW； called the Talisman in words that were not words； but almost physical expressions of urgency。
The man with the gun was now out of sight； but the drivers still stared after him as he went uphill toward Point Venuti's lunatics。 Sunlight Gardener lifted his bullhorn and roared； 'Root him out！ I want him rooted out！' He jabbed the bull…horn at another black…suited man； just raising his binoculars to look down the street in Jack's direction。 'You！ Pig…brains！ Take the other side of the street 。 。 。 and root that bad boy out； oh yes； that baddest baddest boy； baddest 。 。 。' His voice trailed away as the second man trotted across the street to the opposite sidewalk； his pistol already lengthening his fist。
It was the best chance he'd ever get； Jack realized…nobody was facing down the length of the beach road。 'Hang on tight；' he whispered to Richard； who did not move。 'Time to boogie。' He got his feet up under him； and knew that Richard's back was probably visible above the yellow weeds and tall grass。 Bending over； he burst out of the weeds and set his feet on the beach road。
In seconds Jack Sawyer was flat on his stomach in the gritty sand。 He pushed himself forward with his feet。 One of Richard's hands tightened on his shoulder。 Jack wiggled forward across the sand until he had made it behind the first tall outcropping of rock； then he simply stopped moving and lay with his head on his hands； Richard light as a leaf on his back； breathing hard。 The water； no more than twenty feet away； beat against the edge of the beach。 Jack could still hear Sunlight Gardener screeching about imbeciles and inpetents； his crazy voice drifting down from uphill on Main Street。 The Talisman urged him forward； urged him on； on； on 。 。 。
Richard fell off his back。
'You okay？'
Richard raised a thin hand and touched his forehead with his fingers； his cheekbone with his thumb。 'I guess。 You see my father？'
Jack shook his head。 'Not yet。'
'But he's here。'
'I guess。 He has to be。' The Kingsland； Jack remembered； seeing in his mind the dingy facade； the broken wooden sign。 Morgan Sloat would have holed up in the hotel he had used so often six or seven years ago。 Jack immediately felt the furious presence of Morgan Sloat near him； as if knowing where Sloat was had summoned him up。
'Well； don't worry about him。' Richard's voice was paper…thin。 'I mean； don't worry about me worrying about him。 I think he's dead； Jack。'
Jack looked at his friend with a fresh anxiety： could Richard actually be losing his mind？ Certainly Richard was feverish。 Up on the hill； Sunlight Gardener bawled 'SPREAD OUT！' through his bullhorn。
'You think…'
And then Jack heard another voice； one that had first whispered beneath Gardener's angry mand。 It was a half…familiar voice； and Jack recognized its timbre and cadence before he had truly identified it。 And； oddly； he recognized that the sound of this particular voice made him feel relaxed…almost as if he could stop scheming and fretting now； for everything would be taken care of…before he could name its owner。
'Jack Sawyer；' the voice repeated。 'Over here； sonny。'
The voice was Speedy Parker's。
'I do；' Richard said； and closed his puffy eyes again and looked like a corpse washed up by the tide。
I do think my father is dead； Richard meant； but Jack's mind was far from the ravings of his friend。 'Over here； Jacky；' Speedy called again； and the boy saw that the sound came from the largest group of tall rocks； three joined vertical piles only a few feet from the edge of the water。 A dark line； the high…tide mark； cut across the rocks a quarter of the way up。
'Speedy；' Jack whispered。
'Yeah…bob；' came the reply。 'Get yourself over here without them zombies seein you； can you？ And bring your frien' along； too。'
Richard still lay face…up on the sand； his hand over his face。 'e on； Richie；' Jack whispered into his ear。 'We have to move a little bit down the beach。 Speedy's here。'
'Speedy？' Richard whispered back； so quietly Jack had trouble hearing the word。
'A friend。 See the rocks down there？' He lifted Richard's head on the reedlike neck。 'He's behind them。 He'll help us； Richie。 Right now； we could use a little help。'
'I can't really see；' Richard plained。 'And I'm so tired 。 。 。'
'Get on my back again。' He turned around and nearly flattened out on the sand。 Richard's arms came over his shoulders and feebly joined。
Jack peered around the edge of the rock。 Down the beach road； Sunlight Gardener stroked his hair into place as he strode toward the front door of the Kingsland Motel。 The black hotel reared up awesomely。 The Talisman opened its throat and called for Jack Sawyer。 Gardener hesitated outside the door of the motel； swept both hands over his hair； shook his head； and turned smartly about and began walking much more rapidly back up the long line of limousines。 The bull…horn lifted。 'REPORTS EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES！' he screeched。 'YOU POINT MEN…TELL ME IF YOU SEE A BUG MOVE！ I MEAN IT； YES I DO！'
Gardener was walking away； everybody else watched him。 It was time。 Jack kicked off away from his shelter of rock and； bending over while he clasped Richard's skimpy forearms； raced down the beach。 His feet kicked up scallops of damp sand。 The three joined pillars of rocks； which had seemed so close while he talked to Speedy； now appeared to be half a mile away…the open space between himself and them would not close。 It was as if the rocks receded while he ran。 Jack expected to hear the crack of a shot。 Would he feel the bullet first； or would he hear the report before the bullet knocked him down？ At last the three rocks grew larger and larger in his vision； and then he was there； falling onto his chest and skidding behind their protection。
'Speedy！' he said； almost laughing in spite of everything。 But the sight of Speedy； who was sitting down beside a colorful little blanket and leaning against the middle pillar of rock； killed the laughter in his throat…killed at least half of his hope； too。
2
For Speedy Parker looked worse than Richard。 Much worse。 His cracked； leaking face gave Jack a weary nod； and the boy thought that Speedy was confirming his hopelessness。 Speedy wore only a pair of old brown shorts； and all of his skin seemed horribly diseased； as if with leprosy。
'Settle down now； ole Travellin Jack；' Speedy whispered in a hoarse； crackling voice。 'There's lots you got to hear； so open your ears up good。'
'How are you？' Jack asked。 'I mean 。 。 。 Jesus； Speedy 。 。 。 is there anything I can do for you？'
He gently placed Richard down on the sand。
'Open your ears； like I said。 Don't you go worryin bout Speedy。 I ain't too 'fable； the way you see me now； but I can be 'fable again； if you does the right thing。 Your little friend's dad put this hurtin on me…on his own boy； too； looks like。 Old Bloat don't want his child in that hotel； no sir。 But you got to take him there； son。 There ain't but one way about it。 You got to do it。'
Speedy seemed to be fading in and out as he talked to Jack； who wanted to scream or wail more than he had at any time since the death of Wolf。 His eyes smarted； and he knew he wanted to cry。 'I know； Speedy；' he said。 'I figured that out。'
'You a good boy；' the old man said。 He cocked his head back and regarded Jack carefully。 'You the one； all right。 The road laid its mark on you； I see。 You the one。 You gonna do it。'
'How's my mom； Speedy？' Jack asked。 'Please tell m