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its drooping breasts and mop of pubic hair； her face had been painted blazing orange。 Orange； too； was her hair。 Jack stopped moving and watched the insane woman with the painted face and dyed hair raise her arms； twist her upper body as deliberately as one doing a Tai Chi movement； kick her left foot out over the flyblown corpse of a dog； and freeze into position like a statue。 An emblem of all Point Venuti； the madwoman held her posture。 Slowly the foot came down； and the skinny body revolved。
Past the woman； past the row of empty shops； Main Street turned residential…at least Jack supposed that it had once been residential。 Here； too； bright scars of paint defaced the buildings； tiny two…story houses once bright white； now covered with the slashes of paint and graffiti。 One slogan jumped out at him： YOU'RE DEAD NOW； scrawled up the side of an isolated peeling building that had surely once been a boarding house。 The words had been there a long time。
JASON； I NEED YOU； the Talisman boomed out at him in a language both above and beneath speech。
'I can't；' Richard whispered beside him。 'Jack； I know I can't。'
After the row of peeling； hopeless…looking houses； the road dipped again； and Jack could see only the backs of a pair of black Cadillac limousines； one on either side of Main Street； parked with their noses pointed downhill； motors running。 Like a trick photograph； looking impossibly large； impossibly sinister； the top…half？ third？…of the black hotel reared up over the back ends of the Cadillacs and the despairing little houses。 It seemed to float； cut off by the curve of the final hill。 'I can't go in there；' Richard repeated。
'I'm not even sure we can get past those trees；' Jack said。 'Hold your water； Richie。'
Richard uttered an odd； snuffling noise which it took Jack a second to recognize as the sound of crying。 He put his arm over Richard's shoulder。 The hotel owned the landscape…that much was obvious。 The black hotel owned Point Venuti； the air above it； the ground beneath。 Looking at it； Jack saw the weathervanes spin in contradictory directions； the turrets and gambrels rise like warts into the gray air。 The Agincourt did look as if it were made of stone…thousand…year…old stone； black as tar。 In one of the upper windows； a light suddenly flashed…to Jack； it was as if the hotel had winked at him； secretly amused to find him at last so near。 A dim figure seemed to glide away from the window： a second later the reflection of a cloud swam across the glass。
From somewhere inside； the Talisman trilled out its song only Jack could hear。
3
'I think it grew；' Richard breathed。 He had forgotten to scratch since he had seen the hotel floating past the final hill。 Tears ran over and through the raised red bumps on his cheeks； and Jack saw that his eyes were now pletely encased by the raised rash…Richard didn't have to squint to squint anymore。 'It's impossible； but the hotel used to be smaller； Jack。 I'm sure of it。'
'Right now； nothing's impossible；' Jack said； almost unnecessarily…they had long ago passed into the realm of the impossible。 And the Agincourt was so large； so dominating； that it was wildly out of scale with the rest of the town。
The architectural extravagance of the black hotel； all the turrets and brass weathervanes attached to fluted towers； the cupolas and gambrels which should have made it a playful fantasy； instead made it menacing； nightmarish。 It looked as though it belonged in some kind of anti…Disneyland where Donald Duck had strangled Huey； Dewey； and Louie and Mickey shot Minnie Mouse full of heroin。
'I'm afraid；' Richard said； and JASON E NOW； sang out the Talisman。
'Just stick close to me； pal； and we'll go through that place like grease through a goose。'
JASON E NOW！
The clump of Territories trees just ahead rustled as Jack stepped forward。
Richard； frightened； hung back…it might have been； Jack realized； that Richard was nearly blind by now； deprived of his glasses and with his eyes gradually being squeezed shut。 He reached behind him and pulled Richard forward； feeling as he did so how thin Richard's hand and wrist had bee。
Richard came stumbling along。 His skinny wrist burned in Jack's hand。 'Whatever you do； don't slow down；' Jack said。 'All we have to do is get by them。'
'I can't；' Richard sobbed。
'Do you want me to carry you？ I'm being serious； Richard。 I mean； this could be a lot worse。 I bet if we hadn't blown so many of his troops away back there； he'd have guards every fifty feet。'
'You couldn't move fast enough if you carried me。 I'd slow you down。'
What in the Sam Hill do you think you're doing now？ went through Jack's mind； but he said； 'Stay on my far side and go like hell； Richie。 When I say three。 Got it？ One 。 。 。 two 。 。 。 three！'
He jerked Richard's arm and began sprinting past the trees。 Richard stumbled； gasped； then managed to right himself and keep on moving without falling down。 Geysers of dust appeared at the base of the trees； a motion of shredding earth and scrambling things that looked like enormous beetles； shiny as shoe polish。 A small brown bird took off out of the weeds near the clump of conspiring trees； and a limber root like an elephant's trunk whipped out of the dust and snatched it from the air。
Another root snaked toward Jack's left ankle； but fell short。 The mouths in the coarse bark howled and screamed。
（LOVERRR？ LOVER BOYYY？）
Jack clenched his teeth together and tried to force Richard Sloat to fly。 The heads of the plicated trees had begun to sway and bow。 Whole nests and families of roots were slithering toward the white line； moving as though they had independent wills。 Richard faltered； then unambiguously slowed as he turned his head to look past Jack toward the reaching trees。
'Move！' Jack yelled； and yanked at Richard's arm。 The red lumps felt like hot stones buried beneath the skin。 He hauled away at Richard； seeing too many of the whickering roots crawl gleefully toward them across the white line。
Jack put his arm around Richard's waist at the same instant that a long root whistled through the air and wrapped itself around Richard's arm。
'Jesus！' Richard yelled。 'Jason！ It got me！ It got me！'
In horror Jack saw the tip of the root； a blind worm's head； lift up and stare at him。 It twitched almost lazily in the air； then wound itself once again around Richard's burning arm。 Other roots came sliding toward them across the road。
Jack yanked Richard back as hard as he could； and gained another six inches。 The root around Richard's arm grew taut。 Jack locked his arms around Richard's waist and hauled him mercilessly backward。 Richard let out an unearthly； floating scream。 For a second； Jack was afraid that Richard's shoulder had separated； but a voice large within him said PULL！ and he dug in his heels and pulled back even harder。
Then they both nearly went tumbling into a nest of crawling roots； for the single tendril around Richard's arm had neatly snapped。 Jack stayed on his feet only by back…pedalling frantically； bending over at the waist to keep Richard； too； off the road。 In this way they got past the last of the trees just as they heard the rending； snapping sounds they had heard once before。 This time； Jack did not have to tell Richard to run for it。
The nearest tree came roaring up out of the ground and fell with a ground…shaking thud only three or four feet behind Richard。 The others crashed to the surface of the road behind it； waving their roots like wild hair。
'You saved my life；' Richard said。 He was crying again； more from weakness and exhaustion and shock than from fear。
'From now on； my old pal； you ride piggyback；' Jack said； panting； and bent down to help Richard get on his back。
4
'I should have told you；' Richard was whispering。 His face burned against Jack's neck； his mouth against Jack's ear。 'I don't want you to hate me； but I wouldn't blame you if you did； really I wouldn't。 I know I should have told you。' He seemed to weigh no more than the husk of himself； as if nothing were left inside him。
'About what？' Jack settled Richard squarely in the center of his back； and again had the unsettling feeling that he was carrying only an empty sack of flesh。
'The man who came to visit my father 。 。 。 and Camp Readiness 。 。 。 and the closet。' Richard's hollow…seeming body trembled against his friend's back。 'I should have told you。 But I couldn't even tell myself。' His breath； hot as his skin； blew agitatedly into Jack's ear。
Jack thought； The Talisman is doing this to him。 An instant later he corrected himself。 No。 The black hotel is doing this to him。
The two limousines which had been parked nose…down at the brow of the next hill had disappeared sometime during the fight with the Territories trees； but the hotel endured； growing larger with every forward step Jack took。 The skinny naked woman； another of the hotel's victims； still performed her mad slow dance before the bleak row of shops。 The little red flares danced； winked out； danced in the murky air。 It was no time at all； neither morning nor afternoon nor night…it was time'