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'Jack！'
There was another clap of thunder； this one a huge oaken thud that rolled through the sky like an artillery shell。
Panting； his soaked hair hanging in his eyes； Jack looked over his shoulder 。 。 。 and directly into the rest area on I…70 near Lewisburg； Ohio。 He was seeing it as if through ripply； badly made glass 。 。 。 but he was seeing it。 The edge of the brick toilet was on the left side of that blistered； tortured patch of air。 The snout of what looked like a Chevrolet pick…up truck was on the right； floating three feet above the field where he and Wolf had been sitting peacefully and talking not five minutes ago。 And in the center； looking like an extra in a film about Admiral Byrd's assault on the South Pole； was Morgan Sloat； his thick red face twisted with murderous rage。 Rage； and something else。 Triumph？ Yes。 Jack thought that was what it was。
He stood at midstream in water that was crotch…deep； cattle passing on either side of him； baa…ing and bleating； staring at that window which had been torn in the very fabric of reality； his eyes wide； his mouth wider。
He's found me； oh dear God； he's found me。
'There you are； you little shithead！' Morgan bellowed at him。 His voice carried； but it had a muffled； dead quality as it came from the reality of that world into the reality of this one。 It was like listening to a man shout inside a telephone booth。 'Now we'll see； won't we？ Won't we？'
Morgan started forward； his face swimming and rippling as if made of limp plastic； and Jack had time to see there was something clutched in his hand； something hung around his neck； something small and silvery。
Jack stood； paralyzed； as Sloat bulled his way through the hole between the two universes。 As he came he did his own werewolf number； changing from Morgan Sloat； investor； land speculator； and sometime Hollywood agent； into Morgan of Orris； pretender to the throne of a dying Queen。 His flushed； hanging jowls thinned。 The color faded out of them。 His hair renewed itself； growing forward； first tinting the rondure of his skull； as if some invisible being were coloring Uncle Morgan's head； then covering it。 The hair of Sloat's Twinner was long； black； flapping； somehow dead…looking。 It had been tied at the nape of his neck； Jack saw； but most of it had e loose。
The parka wavered； disappeared for a moment； then came back as a cloak and hood。
Morgan Sloat's suede boots became dark leather knee…boots； their tops turned down； what might have been the hilt of a knife poking out of one。
And the small silver thing in his hand had turned to a small rod tipped with crawling blue fire。
It's a lightning…rod。 Oh Jesus； it's a…
'Jack！'
The cry was low； gargling； full of water。
Jack whirled clumsily around in the stream； barely avoiding another cow…sheep； this one floating on its side； dead in the water。 He saw Wolf's head going down again； both hands waving。 Jack fought his way toward those hands； still dodging the cattle as best he could。 One of them bunted his hip hard and Jack went over； inhaling water。 He got up again quick； coughing and choking； one hand feeling inside his jerkin for the bottle； afraid it might have washed away。 It was still there。
'Boy！ Turn around and look at me； boy！'
No time just now； Morgan。 Sorry； but I've got to see if I can avoid getting drowned by Wolf's herd before I see if I can avoid getting fried by your doomstick there。 I…
Blue fire arched over Jack's shoulder； sizzling…it was like a deadly electric rainbow。 It struck one of the cow…sheep caught in the reedy muck on the other side of the stream and the unfortunate beast simply exploded； as if it had swallowed dynamite。 Blood flew in a needle…spray of droplets。 Gobbets of flesh began to rain down around Jack。
'Turn and look at me； boy！'
He could feel the force of that mand； gripping his face with invisible hands； trying to turn it。
Wolf struggled up again； his hair plastered against his face； his dazed eyes peering through a curtain of it like the eyes of an English sheepdog。 He was coughing and staggering； seemingly no longer aware of where he was。
'Wolf！' Jack screamed； but thunder exploded across the blue sky again； drowning him out。
Wolf bent over and retched up a great muddy sheet of water。 A moment later another of the terrified cow…sheep struck him and bore him under again。
That's it； Jack thought despairingly。 That's it； he's gone； must be； let him go； get out of here…
But he struggled on toward Wolf； pushing a dying； weakly convulsing cow…sheep out of his way to get there。
'Jason！' Morgan of Orris screamed； and Jack realized that Morgan was not cursing in the Territories argot； he was calling his； Jack's； name。 Only here he was not Jack。 Here he was Jason。
But the Queen's son died an infant； died； he…
The wet； sizzling zap of electricity again； seeming almost to part his hair。 Again it struck the other bank； this time vaporizing one of Wolf's cattle。 No； Jack saw； at least not utterly。 The animal's legs were still there； mired in the mud like shake…poles。 As he watched； they began to sag tiredly outward in four different directions。
'TURN AND LOOK AT ME； GOD POUND YOU！' The water； why doesn't he throw it at the water； fry me； Wolf； all these animals at the same time？
Then his fifth…grade science came back to him。 Once electricity went to water； it could go anywhere 。 。 。 including back to the generator of the current。
Wolf's dazed face； floating underwater； drove these thoughts from Jack's flying mind。 Wolf was still alive； but partially pinned under a cow…sheep； which； although apparently unhurt； had frozen in panic。 Wolf's hands waved with pathetic； flagging energy。 As Jack closed the last of the distance； one of those hands dropped and simply floated； limp as a water…lily。
Without slowing； Jack lowered his left shoulder and hit the cow…sheep like Jack Armstrong in a boy's sports story。
If it had been a full…sized cow instead of a Territories pact model； Jack would probably not have budged it； not with the stream's fairly stiff current working against him。 But it was smaller than a cow； and Jack was pumped up。 It bawled when Jack hit it； floundered backward； sat briefly on its haunches； and then lunged for the far bank。 Jack grabbed Wolf's hands and pulled with all of his might。
Wolf came up as reluctantly as a waterlogged tree…trunk； his eyes now glazed and half…closed； water streaming from his ears and nose and mouth。 His lips were blue。
Twin forks of lightning blazed to the right and left of where Jack stood holding Wolf； the two of them looking like a pair of drunks trying to waltz in a swimming pool。 On the far bank； another cow…sheep flew in all directions； its severed head still bawling。 Hot rips of fire zigzagged through the marshy area； lighting the reeds on the tussocks and then find…ing the drier grass of the field where the land began to rise again。
'Wolf！' Jack screamed。 'Wolf； for Christ's sake！'
'Auh；' Wolf moaned； and vomited warm muddy water over Jack's shoulder。 'Auhhhhhhhhhhh 。 。 。 '
Now Jack saw Morgan standing on the other bank； a tall； Puritanical figure in his black cloak。 His hood framed his pallid； vampirelike face with a kind of cheerless romance。 Jack had time to think that the Territories had worked their magic even here； on behalf of his dreadful uncle。 Over here； Morgan was not an overweight； hypertensive actuarial toad with piracy in his heart and murder in his mind； over here； his face had narrowed and found a frigid masculine beauty。 He pointed the silver rod like a toy magic wand； and blue fire tore the air open。
'Now you and your dumb friend！' Morgan screamed。 His thin lips split in a triumphant grin； revealing sunken yellow teeth that spoiled Jack's blurred impression of beauty once and forever。
Wolf screamed and jerked in Jack's aching arms。 He was staring at Morgan； his eyes orange and bulging with hate and fear。
'You； devil！' Wolf screamed。 'You； devil！ My sister！ My litter…sister！ Wolf！ Wolf！ You； devil！'
Jack pulled the bottle out of his jerkin。 There was a single swallow left anyway。 He couldn't hold Wolf up with his one arm； he was losing him； and Wolf seemed unable to support himself。 Didn't matter。 Couldn't take him back through into the other world anyway 。 。 。 or could he？
'You； devil！' Wolf screamed； weeping； his wet face sliding down Jack's arm。 The back of his bib overalls floated and belled in the water。
Smell of burning grass and burning animals。
Thunder； exploding。
This time the river of fire in the air rushed by Jack so close that the hairs in his nostrils singed and curled。
'OH YES； BOTH OF YOU； BOTH OF YOU！' Morgan howled。 'I'LL TEACH YOU TO GET IN MY WAY； YOU LITTLE BASTARD！ I'LL BURN BOTH OF YOU！ I'LL POUND YOU DOWN！'
'Wolf； hold on！' Jack yelled。 He gave up his effort to hold Wolf up； instead； he snatched Wolf's hand in his own and held it as tightly as he could。 'Hold on to me； do you hear？'
'Wolf！'
He tipped the bottle up； and the awful cold taste of rotted grapes filled his mouth for the last time。 The bottle was empty。 As he swallowed； he heard it s