sk.thetalisman-第77章
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d to begin at his temples。 His eyes glared a bright red…orange。
'Wolf； are you all right？' Jack asked in a husky； breathy whisper。 It was as loud as he could talk。
'Yes；' Wolf said。 'I've been running with the moon。 It's beautiful。 I ran 。 。 。 and ran 。 。 。 and ran。 But I'm all right； Jack。' Wolf smiled to show how all right he was； and revealed a mouthful of giant； rending teeth。 Jack recoiled in numb horror。 It was like looking into the mouth of that Alien thing in the movies。
Wolf saw his expression； and dismay crossed his roughened； thickening features。 But under the dismay…and not far under； either…was something else。 Something that capered and grinned and showed its teeth。 Something that would chase prey until blood flew from the prey's nose in its terror； until it moaned and begged。 Something that would laugh as it tore the screaming prey open。
It would laugh even if he were the prey。
Especially if he were the prey。
'Jack； I'm sorry；' he said。 'The time 。 。 。 it's ing。 We'll have to do something。 We'll 。 。 。 tomorrow。 We'll have to 。 。 。 have to 。 。 。 ' He looked up and that hypnotized expression spread over his face as he looked into the sky。
He raised his head and howled。
And Jack thought he heard…very faintly…the Wolf in the moon howl back。
Horror stole through him； quietly and pletely。 Jack slept no more that night。
3
The next day Wolf was better。 A little better； anyway； but he was almost sick with tension。 As he was trying to tell Jack what to do…as well as he could； anyway…a jet plane passed high overhead。 Wolf jumped to his feet； rushed out； and howled at it； shaking his fists at the sky。 His hairy feet were bare again。 They had swelled and split the cheap penny loafers wide open。
He tried to tell Jack what to do； but he had little to go on except old tales and rumors。 He knew what the change was in his own world； but he sensed it might be much worse…more powerful and more dangerous…in the land of the Strangers。 And he felt that now。 He felt that power sweeping through him； and tonight when the moon rose he felt sure it would sweep him away。
Over and over again he reiterated that he didn't want to hurt Jack； that he would rather kill himself than hurt Jack。
4
Daleville was the closest small town。 Jack got there shortly after the courthouse clock struck noon； and went into the True Value hardware store。 One hand was stuffed into his pants pocket； touching his depleted roll of bills。
'Help you； son？'
'Yes sir；' Jack said。 'I want to buy a padlock。'
'Well； step over here and let's us have a look。 We've got Yales； and Mosslers； and Lok…Tites； and you name it。 What kind of padlock you want？'
'A big one；' Jack said； looking at the clerk with his shadowed； somehow disquieting eyes。 His face was gaunt but still persuasive in its odd beauty。
'A big one；' the clerk mused。 'And what would you be wanting it for； might I ask？'
'My dog；' Jack said steadily。 A Story。 Always they wanted a Story。 He had gotten this one ready on the way in from the shed where they had spent the last two nights。 'I need it for my dog。 I have to lock him up。 He bites。'
5
The padlock he picked out cost ten dollars； leaving Jack with about ten dollars to his name。 It hurt him to spend that much； and he almost went for a cheaper item 。 。 。 and then he had a memory of how Wolf had looked the night before； howling at the moon with orange fire spilling from his eyes。
He paid the ten dollars。
He stuck out his thumb at every passing car as he hurried back to the shed； but of course none of them stopped。 Perhaps he looked too wild…eyed； too frantic。 He certainly felt wild…eyed and frantic。 The newspaper the hardware store clerk had let him look at promised sunset at six o'clock P。M。 on the dot。 Moonrise was not listed； but Jack guessed seven； at the latest。 It was already one p。m。； and he had no idea where he was going to put Wolf for the night。
You have to lock me up； Jack； Wolf had said。 Have to lock me up good。 Because if I get out； I'll hurt anything I can run down and catch hold of。 Even you； Jack。 Even you。 So you have to lock me up and keep me locked up； no matter what I do or what I say。 Three days； Jack； until the moon starts to get thin again。 Three days 。 。 。 even four； if you're not pletely sure。
Yes； but where？ It had to be someplace away from people； so no one would hear Wolf if…when； he amended reluctantly…he began to howl。 And it had to be someplace a lot stronger than the shed they had been staying in。 If Jack used his fine new ten…dollar padlock on the door of that place； Wolf would bust right out through the back。
Where？
He didn't know； but he knew he had only six hours to find a place 。 。 。 maybe less。
Jack began to hurry along even faster。
6
They had passed several empty houses to e this far； had even spent the night in one； and Jack watched all the way back from Daleville for the signs of lack of occupancy： for blank uncovered windows and FOR SALE signs； for grass grown as high as the second porch step and the sense of lifelessness mon to empty houses。 It was not that he hoped he could lock Wolf into some farmer's bedroom for the three days of his Change。 Wolf would be able to knock down the door of the shed。 But one farmhouse had a root cellar； that would have worked。
A stout oaken door set into a grassy mound like a door in a fairy tale； and behind it a room without walls or ceiling…an underground room； a cave no creature could dig its way out of in less than a month。 The cellar would have held Wolf； and the earthen floor and walls would have kept him from injuring himself。
But the empty farmhouse； and the root cellar； must have been at least thirty or forty miles behind them。 They would never make it back there in the time remaining before moonrise。 And would Wolf still be willing to run forty miles； especially for the purpose of putting himself in a foodless solitary confinement； so close to the time of his Change？
Suppose； in fact； that too much time had passed。 Suppose that Wolf had e too close to the edge and would refuse any sort of imprisonment？ What if that capering； greedy underside of his character had climbed up out of the pit and was beginning to look around this odd new world； wondering where the food was hiding？ The big padlock threatening to rip the seams out of Jack's pocket would be useless。
He could turn around； Jack realized。 He could walk back to Daleville and keep on going。 In a day or two he'd be nearly to Lapel or Cicero； and maybe he would work an afternoon at a feed store or get in some hours as a farmhand； make a few dollars or scrounge a meal or two； and then push all the way to the Illinois border in the next few days。 Illinois would be easy； Jack thought…he didn't know how he was going to do this； exactly； but he was pretty sure he could get to Springfield and the Thayer School only a day or two after he made it into Illinois。
And； Jack puzzled as he hesitated a quarter…mile down the road from the shed； how would he explain Wolf to Richard Sloat？ His old buddy Richard； in his round glasses and ties and laced cordovans？ Richard Sloat was thoroughly rational and； though very intelligent； hard…headed。 If you couldn't see it； it probably didn't exist。 Richard had never been interested in fairy tales as a child； he had remained unexcited by Disney films about fairy godmothers who turned pumpkins into coaches； about wicked queens who owned speaking mirrors。 Such conceits were too absurd to snare Richard's six…year…old （or eight…year…old； or ten…year…old） fancy…unlike； say； a photograph of an electron microscope。 Richard's enthusiasm had embraced Rubik's Cube； which he could solve in less than ninety seconds； but Jack did not think it would go so far as to accept a six…foot…five； sixteen…year…old werewolf。
For a moment Jack twisted helplessly on the road…for a moment he almost thought that he would be able to leave Wolf behind and get on with his journey toward Richard and then the Talisman。
What if I'm the herd？ he asked himself silently。 And what he thought of was Wolf scrambling down t
