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oint Venuti； Jack realized； here； reality had been sanded thin。 The wolf's head whirled meaninglessly in mid…air； and the Talisman continued to pull at Jack。 E HERE E HERE E NOW E NOW NOW 。 。 。 Jack realized that along with its incredible and increasing pull； the Talisman was singing to him。 Wordlessly； tunelessly； but singing； a curving rise and fall of whale's melody that would be inaudible to anyone else。
The Talisman knew he had just seen the hotel's weather…vane。
Point Venuti might be the most depraved and dangerous place in all North and South America； Jack thought； suddenly bolder by half； but it could not keep him from going into the Agincourt Hotel。 He turned to Richard； feeling now as if he had been doing nothing but resting and exercising for a month； and tried not to let his dismay at his friend's condition show in his face。 Richard could not stop him； either…if he had to； he'd shove Richard right through the walls of the damned hotel。 He saw tormented Richard drag his fingernails through his hair and down the hivelike rash on his temples and cheeks。
'We're going to do this； Richard；' he said。 'I know we are。 I don't care how much crazy bullshit they throw at us。 We are going to do this。'
'Our troubles are going to have troubles with us；' said Richard； quoting…surely unconsciously…from Dr。 Seuss。 He paused。 'I don't know if I can make it。 That's the truth。 I'm dead on my feet。' He gave Jack a look of utterly naked anguish。 'What's happening to me； Jack？'
'I don't know； but I know how to stop it。' And hoped that that was true。
'Is my father doing this to me？' Richard asked miserably。 He ran his hands experimentally over his puffy face。 Then he lifted his shirt out of his trousers and examined the red coalescing rash on his stomach。 The bumps； shaped vaguely like the state of Oklahoma； began at his waistline and extended around both sides and up nearly to his neck。 'It looks like a virus or something。 Did my father give it to me？'
'I don't think he did it on purpose； Richie；' Jack said。 'If that means anything。'
'It doesn't；' Richard said。
'It's all going to stop。 The Seabrook Island Express is ing to the end of the line。'
Richard right beside him； Jack stepped forward…and saw the taillights of the Cadillac flash on； then off； before the car slipped forward out of his sight。
There would be no surprise attack this time； no wonderful slam…bang arrival through a fence with a trainful of guns and ammunition； but even if everybody in Point Venuti knew they were ing； Jack was on his way。 He felt suddenly as if he had strapped on armor； as if he held a magic sword。 Nobody in Point Venuti had the power to harm him； at least not until he got to the Agincourt Hotel。 He was on his way； Rational Richard beside him； and all would be well。 And before he had taken three more steps； his muscles singing along with the Talisman； he had a better； more accurate image of himself than of a knight going out to do battle。 The image came straight from one of his mother's movies； delivered by celestial telegram。 It was as if he were on a horse； a broad…brimmed hat on his head and a gun tied to his hip； riding in to clean up Deadwood Gulch。
Last Train to Hangtown； he remembered： Lily Cavanaugh； Clint Walker； and Will Hutchins； 1960。 So be it。
2
Four or five of the Territories trees struggled out of the hard brown soil beside the first of the abandoned buildings。 Maybe they had been there all along； snaking their branches over the road nearly to the white line； maybe not； Jack could not remember seeing them when he first looked down toward the concealed town。 It was scarcely more conceivable； though； that he could overlook the trees than he could a pack of wild dogs。 He could hear their roots rustling along the surface of the ground as he and Richard approached the warehouse。
（OUR boy？ OUR boy？）
'Let's get on the other side of the road；' he said to Richard； and took his lumpy hand to lead him across。
As soon as they reached the opposite side of the road； one of the Territories trees visibly stretched out； root and branch； for them。 If trees had stomachs； they could have heard its stomach growl。 The gnarly branch and the smooth snakelike root whipped across the yellow line； then across half the remaining distance to the boys。 Jack prodded gasping Richard in the side with his elbow； then grasped his arm and pulled him along。
（MY MY MY MY BOY！ YESSS！！）
A tearing； ripping sound suddenly filled the air； and for a moment Jack thought that Morgan of Orris was raping a passage through the worlds again； being Morgan Sloat 。 。 。 Morgan Sloat with a final； not…to…be…refused offer involving a machine…gun； a blowtorch； a pair of red…hot pincers 。 。 。 but instead of Richard's furious father； the crown of the Territories tree struck the middle of the road； bounced once in a snapping of branches； then rolled over on its side like a dead animal。
'Oh my God；' Richard said。 'It came right out of the ground after us。'
Which was precisely what Jack had been thinking。 'Kamikaze tree；' he said。 'I think things are going to be a little wild here in Point Venuti。'
'Because of the black hotel？'
'Sure…but also because of the Talisman。' He looked down the road and saw another clump of the carnivorous trees about ten yards down the hill。 'The vibes or the atmosphere or whatever the ding…dong you want to call it are all screwed up…because everything's evil and good； black and white； all mixed up。'
Jack was keeping his eye on the clump of trees they now slowly approached as he talked； and saw the nearest tree twitch its crown toward them； as if it had heard his voice。
Maybe this whole town is a big Oatley； Jack was thinking； and maybe he would e through after all…but if there was a tunnel up ahead； the last thing Jack Sawyer was going to do was enter it。 He really did not want to meet the Point Venuti version of Elroy。
'I'm afraid；' Richard said behind him。 'Jack； what if more of those trees can jump out of the ground like that？'
'You know；' Jack said； 'I've noticed that even when trees are mobile； they can't actually get very far。 Even a turkey like you ought to be able to outrun a tree。'
He was rounding the last curve in the road； going downhill past the final warehouses。 The Talisman called and called； as vocal as the giant's singing harp in 'Jack and the Beanstalk。' At last Jack came around the curve； and the rest of Point Venuti lay beneath him。
His Jason…side kept him going。 Point Venuti might once have been a pleasant little resort town； but those days had passed long ago。 Now Point Venuti itself was the Oatley tunnel； and he would have to walk through all of it。 The cracked； broken surface of the road dipped toward an area of burned…out houses surrounded by Territories trees…the workers in the empty factories and warehouses would have lived in these small frame houses。 Enough was left of one or two of them to show what they had been。 The twisted hulks of burned cars lay here and there about the houses； entwined with thick weeds。 Through the wasted foundations of the little houses； the roots of the Territories trees slowly prowled。 Blackened bricks and boards； upended and smashed bathtubs； twisted pipes littered the burned…out lots。 A flash of white caught Jack's eye； but he looked away as soon as he saw that it was the white bone of a disarranged skeleton hooked beneath the tangle of roots。 Once children had piloted bikes through these streets； housewives had gathered in kitchens to plain about wages and unemployment； men had waxed their cars in their driveways…all gone； now。 A tipped…over swingset； powdery with rust； poked its limbs through rubble and weeds。
Reddish little flares winked on and off in the murky sky。
Below the two…block…square area of burned houses and feeding trees； a dead stoplight hung over an empty intersection。 Across the intersection； the side of a charred building still showed letters reading UH OH！ BETTER GET MAA over a pocked； blistered picture of the front end of a car protruding through a plate…glass window。 The fire had gone no farther； but Jack wished that it had。 Point Venuti was a blighted town； and fire was better than rot。 The building with the half…destroyed advertisement for Maaco paint stood first in a row of shops。 The Dangerous Planet Bookstore； Tea & Sympathy； Ferdy's Wholefood Healthstore； Neon Village： Jack could read only a few of the names of the shops； for above most of them the paint had long ago flaked and curdled off the facades。 These shops appeared to be closed； as abandoned as the factories and warehouses up the hill。 Even from where he stood； Jack could see that the plate…glass windows had been broken so long ago they were like empty eyeglass frames； blank idiot eyes。 Smears of paint decorated the fronts of the shops； red and black and yellow； oddly bright and scarlike in the dull gray air。 A naked woman； so starved Jack could have counted her ribs； twisted slowly and ceremoniously as a weathervane in the littered street before the shops。 Above her pale body with its drooping breasts and mop of pubic hair； her face had been painted blazing orange。 Orange； too； w