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c worked so well here。
'There were coal…piles and switching yards and roundhouses and boxcar sheds and about a billion miles of tracks and sidings；' Richard was saying。 'It covered this whole area where Thayer School is now。 If you dig down a few feet under this turf anywhere； you find cinders and pieces of rail and all sorts of stuff。 But all that's left now is that little building。 The Depot。 Of course it never was a real depot； it's too small； anyone could see that。 It was the main railyard office； where the stationmaster and the rail…boss did their respective things。'
'You know a hell of a lot about it；' Jack said； speaking almost automatically…his head was still filled with that savage new light。
'It's part of the Thayer tradition；' Richard said simply。
'What's it used for now？'
'There's a little theater in there。 It's for Dramatics Club productions； but the Dramatics Club hasn't been very active over the last couple of years。'
'Do you think it's locked？'
'Why would anyone lock The Depot？' Richard asked。 'Unless you think someone would be interested in stealing a few flats from the 1979 production of The Fantasticks。'
'So we could get in there？'
'I think so； yes。 But why…'
Jack pointed to a door just beyond the Ping…Pong tables。 'What's in there？'
'Vending machines。 And a coin…op microwave to heat up snacks and frozen dinners。 Jack…'
'e on。'
'Jack； I think my fever's ing back again。' Richard smiled weakly。 'Maybe we should just stay here for a while。 We could rack out on the sofas for the night…'
'See those brown patches on the walls？' Jack said grimly； pointing。
'No； not without my glasses； of course not！'
'Well； they're there。 And in about an hour； those white bugs are going to hatch out of…'
'All right；' Richard said hastily。
10
The vending machines stank。
It looked to Jack as if all the stuff inside them had spoiled。 Blue mould coated the cheese crackers and Doritos and Jax and fried pork…rinds。 Sluggish creeks of melted ice cream were oozing out of the panels in the front of the Hav…a…Kone machine。
Jack pulled Richard toward the window。 He looked out。 From here Jack could make out The Depot quite well。 Beyond it he could see the chain…link fence and the service road leading off…campus。
'We'll be out in a few seconds；' Jack whispered back。 He unlocked the window and ran it up。
This school exists because Andrew Thayer saw the possibilities 。 。 。 do you see the possibilities； Jack…O？
He thought maybe he did。
'Are there any of those people out there？' Richard asked nervously。
'No；' Jack said； taking only the most cursory of glances。 It didn't really matter if there were or not； anymore。
One of the three or four biggest American railheads 。 。 。 a fortune in rail shippage 。 。 。 mostly to the west coast 。 。 。 he was the first one to see the potential in shipping west 。 。 。 west 。 。 。 west 。 。 。
A thick； mucky mixture of tidal…flat aroma and garbage stench drifted in the window。 Jack threw one leg over the sill and grabbed for Richard's hand。 'e on；' he said。
Richard drew back； his face long and miserable with fright。
'Jack 。 。 。 I don't know 。 。 。'
'The place is falling apart；' Jack said； 'and pretty soon it's going to be crawling with bugs as well。 Now e on。 Someone's going to see me sitting here in this window and we'll lose our chance to scurry out of here like a couple of mice。'
'I don't understand any of this！' Richard wailed。 'I don't understand what in the goddam hell is going on here！'
'Shut up and e on；' Jack said。 'Or I will leave you； Richard。 Swear to God I will。 I love you； but my mother is dying。 I'll leave you to fend for yourself。'
Richard looked at Jack's face and saw…even without his glasses…that Jack was telling the truth。 He took Jack's hand。 'God； I'm scared；' he whispered。
'Join the club；' Jack said； and pushed him off。 His feet hit the mucky lawn a second later。 Richard jumped down beside him。
'We're going to cross to The Depot；' Jack whispered。 'I make it about fifty yards。 We'll go in if it's unlocked； try to hide as well as we can on the Nelson House side of it if it isn't。 Once we're sure no one's seen us and the place is still quiet…'
'We go for the fence。'
'Right。' Or maybe we'll have to flip； but never mind that just now。 'The service road。 I've got an idea that if we can get off the Thayer grounds； everything will be okay again。 Once we get a quarter of a mile down the road； you may look back over your shoulder and see the lights in the dorms and the library just as usual； Richard。'
'That'd be so great；' Richard said with a wistfulness that was heartbreaking。
'Okay； you ready？'
'I guess so；' Richard said。
'Run to The Depot。 Freeze against the wall on this side。 Low； so those bushes screen you。 See them？'
'Yes。'
'Okay 。 。 。 go for it！'
They broke away from Nelson House and ran for The Depot side by side。
11
They were less than halfway there； breath puffing out of their mouths in clear white vapor； feet pounding the mucky ground； when the bells in the chapel broke into a hideous； grinding jangle of sound。 A howling chorus of dogs answered the bells。
They were back； all these were…prefects。 Jack groped for Richard and found Richard groping for him。 Their hands linked together。
Richard screamed and tried to pull him off to the left。 His hand tightened down on Jack's until the fingerbones grated together paralyzingly。 A lean white wolf； a Board Chairman of Wolves； came around The Depot and was now racing toward them。 That was the old man from the limousine； Jack thought。 Other wolves and dogs followed 。 。 。 and then Jack realized with sick surety that some of them were not dogs； some of them were half…transformed boys； some grown men…teachers； he supposed。
'Mr Dufrey！' Richard shrieked； pointing with his free hand （Gee； you see pretty well for someone who's lost his glasses； Richie…boy； Jack thought crazily）。 'Mr。 Dufrey！ Oh God； it's Mr。 Dufrey！ Mr。 Dufrey！ Mr。 Dufrey！'
So Jack got his first and only look at Thayer School's headmaster…a tiny old man with gray hair； a big； bent nose； and the wizened； hairy body of an organ grinder's monkey。 He ran swiftly along on all fours with the dogs and the boys； a mortarboard bobbing crazily up and down on his head and somehow refusing to fall off。 He grinned at Jack and Richard； and his tongue； long and lolling and stained yellow with nicotine； fell out through the middle of his grin。
'Mr。 Dufrey！ Oh God！ Oh dear God！ Mr。 Dufrey！ Mr。 Du…'
He was yanking Jack harder and harder toward the left。 Jack was bigger； but Richard was in the grip of panic。 Explosions rocked the air。 That foul； garbagey smell grew thicker and thicker。 Jack could hear the soft flupping and plupping of mud squeezing out of the earth。 The white wolf which led the pack was closing the distance and Richard was trying to pull them away from it； trying to pull them toward the fence； and that was right； but it was wrong； too； it was wrong because it was The Depot they had to get to； not the fence。 That was the spot； that was the spot because this had been one of the three or four biggest American railheads； because Andrew Thayer had been the first one to see the potential in shipping west； because Andrew Thayer had seen the potential and now he； Jack Sawyer； saw the potential； as well。 All of this was of course only intuition； but Jack had e to believe that； in these universal matters； his intuition was the only thing he could trust。
'Let go of your passenger； Sloat！' Dufrey was gobbling。 'Let go of your passenger； he's too pretty for you！'
But what's a passenger？ Jack thought in those last few seconds； as Richard tried blindly to pull them off…course and Jack yanked him back on； toward the mixed bunch of mongrels and boys and teachers that ran behind the big white wolf； toward The Depot。 I'll tell you what a passenger is； a passenger is one who rides。 And where does a passenger begin to ride？ Why； at a depot 。 。 。
'Jack； it'll bite！' Richard screamed。
The wolf outran Dufrey and leaped at them； its jaws dropping open like a loaded trap。 From behind them there was a thick； crunching thud as Nelson House split open like a rotten cantaloupe。
Now it was Jack who was bearing down on Richard's fingerbones； clamping tight and tighter and tightest as the night rang with crazy bells and flared with gasoline bombs and rattled with firecrackers。
'Hold on！' he screamed。 'Hold on； Richard； here we go！'
He had time to think： Now the shoe is on the other foot； now it's Richard who is the herd； who is my passenger。 God help us both。
'Jack； what's happening？' Richard shrieked。 'What are you doing？ Stop it！ STOP IT！ STOP…'
Richard was still shrieking； but Jack no longer heard him…suddenly； triumphantly； that feeling of creeping doom cracked open like a black egg and his brain filled up with light…light and a sweet purity of air； air so pure that you could smell the radish a man pulled out of his garden half a mile away。 Suddenly Jack felt as if he could simply push off and jump all the way acros