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He was about one…fourth of the way through his first mile when he remembered that there was no water in the shed。 No food and no water。 He supposed that it took longer than three or four days to die of thirst。 As long as Wolf came back for him； he'd be all right…well； maybe not all right； but at least alive。 And if Wolf didn't e back？ He would have to break the door down。
In that case； he thought； he'd better try it now； while he still had some strength。
Jack went to the door and pushed it with both hands。 He pushed it harder； and the hinges squeaked。 Experimentally； Jack threw his shoulder at the edge of the door； opposite the hinges。 He hurt his shoulder； but he didn't think he had done anything to the door。 He banged his shoulder against the door more forcefully。 The hinges squealed but did not move a millimeter。 Wolf could have torn the door off with one hand； but Jack did not think that he could move it if he turned his shoulders into hamburger by running into it。 He would just have to wait for Wolf。
By the middle of the night； Jack had walked seven or eight miles…he'd lost count of the number of times he had reached one hundred and sixty…five； but it was something like seven or eight。 He was parched； and his stomach was rumbling。 The shed stank of urine； for Jack had been forced to pee against the far wall； where a crack in the boards meant that at least some of it went outside。 His body was tired； but he did not think he could sleep。 According to clock…time； Jack had been in the shed barely five hours； in shed…time it was more like twenty…four。 He was afraid to lie down。
His mind would not let him go…that was how it felt。 He had tried making lists of all the books he'd read in the past year； of every teacher he'd had； of every player on the Los Angeles Dodgers 。 。 。 but disturbing； disorderly images kept breaking in。 He kept seeing Morgan Sloat tearing a hole in the air。 Wolf's face floated underwater； and his hands drifted down like heavy weeds。 Jerry Bledsoe twitched and rocked before the electrical panel； his glasses smeared over his nose。 A man's eyes turned yellow； and his hand became a claw…hoof。 Uncle Tommy's false teeth coruscated in the Sunset Strip gutter。 Morgan Sloat came toward his mother； not himself。
'Songs by Fats Waller；' he said； sending himself around another circuit in the dark。 ' 'Your Feets Too Big。' 'Ain't Misbehavin。' 'Jitterbug Waltz。' 'Keepin Out of Mischief Now。' '
The Elroy…thing reached out toward his mother； whispering lewdly； and clamped a hand down over her hip。
'Countries in Central America。 Nicaragua。 Honduras。 Guatemala。 Costa Rica 。 。 。 '
Even when he was so tired he finally had to lie down and curl into a ball on the floor； using his knapsack as a pillow； Elroy and Morgan Sloat rampaged through his mind。 Osmond flicked his bullwhip across Lily Cavanaugh's back； and his eyes danced。 Wolf reared up； massive； absolutely inhuman； and caught a rifle bullet directly in the heart。
The first light woke him； and he smelled blood。 His whole body begged for water； then for food。 Jack groaned。 Three more nights of this would be impossible to survive。 The low angle of the sunlight allowed him dimly to see the walls and roof of the shed。 It all looked larger than he had felt it to be last night。 He had to pee again； though he could scarcely believe that his body could afford to give up any moisture。 Finally he realized that the shed seemed larger because he was lying on the floor。
Then he smelled blood again； and looked sideways； toward the door。 The skinned hindquarters of a rabbit had been thrust through the gap。 They lay sprawled on the rough boards； leaking blood； glistening。 Smudges of dirt and a long ragged scrape showed that they had been forced into the shed。 Wolf was trying to feed him。
'Oh； Jeez；' Jack groaned。 The rabbit's stripped legs were disconcertingly human。 Jack's stomach folded into itself。 But instead of vomiting； he laughed； startled by an absurd parison。 Wolf was like the family pet who each morning presents his owners with a dead bird； an eviscerated mouse。
With two fingers Jack delicately picked up the horrible offering and deposited it under the bench。 He still felt like laughing； but his eyes were wet。 Wolf had survived the first night of his transformation； and so had Jack。
The next morning brought an absolutely anonymous； almost ovoid knuckle of meat around a startingly white bone splintered at both ends。
12
On the morning of the fourth day Jack heard someone sliding down into the gully。 A startled bird squawked； then noisily lifted itself off the roof of the shed。 Heavy footsteps advanced toward the door。 Jack raised himself onto his elbows and blinked into the darkness。
A large body thudded against the door and stayed there。 A pair of split and stained penny loafers was visible through the gap。
'Wolf？' Jack asked softly。 'That's you； isn't it？'
'Give me the key； Jack。'
Jack slipped his hand into his pocket； brought out the key； and pushed it directly between the penny loafers。 A large brown hand dropped into view and picked up the key。
'Bring any water？' Jack asked。 Despite what he had been able to extract from Wolf's gruesome presents； he had e close to serious dehydration…his lips were puffy and cracked； and his tongue felt swollen； baked。 The key slid into the lock； and Jack heard it click open。
Then the lock came away from the door。
'A little；' Wolf said。 'Close your eyes； Jacky。 You have night…eyes now。'
Jack clasped his hands over his eyes as the door opened； but the light which boomed and thundered into the shed still managed to trickle through his fingers and stab his eyes。 He hissed with the pain。 'Better soon；' Wolf said； very close to him。 Wolf's arms circled and lifted him。 'Eyes closed；' Wolf warned； and stepped backward out of the shed。
Even as Jack said； 'Water；' and felt the rusty lip of an old cup meet his own lips； he knew why Wolf had not lingered in the shed。 The air outside seemed unbelievably fresh and sweet…it might have been imported directly from the Territories。 He sucked in a double tablespoon of water that tasted like the best meal on earth and wound down through him like a sparkling little river； reviving everything it touched。 He felt as though he were being irrigated。
Wolf removed the cup from his lips long before Jack considered he was through with it。 'If I give you more you'll just sick it up；' Wolf said。 'Open your eyes； Jack…but only a little bit。'
Jack followed directions。 A million particles of light stormed into his eyes。 He cried out。
Wolf sat down； cradling Jack in his arms。 'Sip；' he said； and put the cup once more to Jack's lips。 'Eyes open； little more。'
Now the sunlight hurt much less。 Jack peered out through the screen of his eyelashes at a flaring dazzle while another miraculous trickle of water slipped down his throat。
'Ah；' Jack said。 'What makes water so delicious？'
'The western wind；' Wolf promptly replied。
Jack opened his eyes wider。 The swarm and dazzle resolved into the weathered brown of the shed and the mixed green and lighter brown of the gully。 His head rested against Wolf's shoulder。 The bulge of Wolf's stomach pressed into his backbone。
'Are you okay； Wolf？' he asked。 'Did you get enough to eat？'
'Wolfs always get enough to eat；' Wolf said simply。 He patted the boy's thigh。
'Thanks for bringing me those pieces of meat。'
'I promised。 You were the herd。 Remember？'
'Oh； yes； I remember；' Jack said。 'Can I have some more of that water？' He slid off Wolf's huge lap and sat on the ground； where he could face him。
Wolf handed him the cup。 The John Lennon glasses were back； Wolf's beard was now little more than a scurf covering his cheeks； his black hair； though still long and greasy； fell well short of his shoulders。 Wolf's face was friendly and peaceful； almost tired…looking。 Over the bib overalls he wore a gray sweatshirt； about two sizes too small； with INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT stencilled on the front。
He looked more like an ordinary human being than at any other time since he and Jack had met。 He did not look as if he could have made it through the simplest college course； but he could have been a great high…school football player。
Jack sipped again…Wolf's hand hovered above the rusty tin cup； ready to snatch it away if Jack gulped。 'You're really okay？'
'Right here and now；' Wolf said。 He rubbed his other hand over his belly； so distended that it stretched the fabric at the bottom of the sweatshirt as taut as a hand would a rubber glove。 'Just tired。 Little sleep； Jack。 Right here and now。'
'Where'd you get the sweatshirt？'
'It was hanging on a line；' Wolf said。 'Cold here； Jacky。'
'You didn't hurt any people； did you？'
'No people。 Wolf！ Drink that water slow； now。' His eyes disconcertingly shaded into happy Halloween orange for a second； and Jack saw that Wolf could never really be said to resemble an ordinary human being。 Then Wolf opened his wide mouth and yawned。 'Little sleep。' He hitched himself into a more fortable position on the slope and put down