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n the slope and put down his head。 He was almost immediately asleep。
PART III
A COLLISION OF WORLDS
CHAPTER 20
Taken by the Law
1
By two o'clock that afternoon they were a hundred miles west； and Jack Sawyer felt as if he too had been running with the moon…it had gone that easily。 In spite of his extreme hunger； Jack sipped slowly at the water in the rusty can and waited for Wolf to awaken。 Finally Wolf stirred； said； 'Ready now； Jack；' hitched the boy up onto his back； and trotted into Daleville。
While Wolf sat outside on the curb and tried to look inconspicuous； Jack entered the Daleville Burger King。 He made himself go first to the men's room and strip to the waist。 Even in the bathroom； the maddening smell of grilling meat caused the saliva to spill into his mouth。 He washed his hands； arms； chest； face。 Then he stuck his head under the tap and washed his hair with liquid soap。 Crumpled paper towels fell； one after the other； to the floor。
At last he was ready to go to the counter。 The uniformed girl there stared at him while he gave his order…his wet hair； he thought。 While she waited for the order to e through； the girl stepped back and leaned against the service hatch； still unabashedly looking at him。
He was biting into the first Whopper as he turned away toward the glass doors。 Juice ran down his chin。 He was so hungry he could scarcely bother to chew。 Three enormous bites took most of the big sandwich。 He had just worked his mouth far enough around the remainder to take a fourth when he saw through the doors that Wolf had attracted a crowd of children。 The meat congealed in his mouth； and his stomach slammed shut。
Jack hurried outside； still trying to swallow his mouthful of ground chuck； limp bread； pickles； lettuce； tomatoes； and sauce。 The kids stood in the street on three sides of Wolf； staring at him every bit as frankly as the waitress had stared at Jack。 Wolf had hunched down on the curb as far as he was able； bowing his back and pulling in his neck like a turtle。 His ears seemed flattened against his head。 The wad of food stuck in Jack's throat like a golfball； and when he swallowed convulsively； it dropped down another notch。
Wolf glanced at him out of the side of his eye； and visibly relaxed。 A tall blue…jeaned man in his twenties opened the door of a battered red pick…up five or six feet away down the curb； leaned against the cab； and watched； smiling。 'Have a burger； Wolf；' Jack said as carelessly as he could。 He handed Wolf the box； which Wolf sniffed。 Then Wolf lifted his head and took a huge bite out of the box。 He began methodically to chew。 The children； astounded and fascinated； stepped nearer。 A few of them were giggling。 'What is he？' asked a little girl with blond pigtails tied with fuzzy pink gift…wrapping yarn。 'Is he a monster？' A crewcut boy of seven or eight shoved himself in front of the girl and said； 'He's the Hulk； isn't he？ He's really the Hulk。 Hey？ Hey？ Huh？ Right？'
Wolf had managed to extract what was left of his Whopper from its cardboard container。 He pushed the whole thing into his mouth with his palm。 Shreds of lettuce fell between his upraised knees； mayonnaise and meat juices smeared over his chin； his cheek。 Everything else became a brownish pulp smacked to death between Wolf's enormous teeth。 When he swallowed he started to lick the inside of the box。
Jack gently took the container out of his hands。 'No； he's just my cousin。 He's not a monster； and he's not the Hulk。 Why don't you kids get away and leave us alone； huh？ Go on。 Leave us alone。'
They continued to stare。 Wolf was now licking his fingers。
'If you keep on gawping at him like that； you might make him mad。 I don't know what he'd do if he got mad。'
The boy with the crewcut had seen David Banner's transformation often enough to have an idea of what anger might do to this monstrous Burger King carnivore。 He stepped back。 Most of the others moved back with him。
'Go on； please；' Jack said； but the children had frozen again。
Wolf rose up mountainously； his fists clenched。 'GOD POUND YOU； DON'T LOOK AT ME！' he bellowed。 'DON'T MAKE ME FEEL FUNNY！ EVERYBODY MAKES ME FEEL FUNNY！'
The children scattered。 Breathing hard； red…faced； Wolf stood and watched them disappear up Daleville's Main Street and around the corner。 When they were gone； he wrapped his arms around his chest and looked dartingly at Jack。 He was miserable with embarrassment。 'Wolf shouldn't have yelled；' he said。 'They were just little ones。'
'Big fat scare'll do them a lot of good；' a voice said； and Jack saw that the young man from the red pick…up was still leaning against his cab； smiling at them。 'Never saw anything like that before myself。 Cousins； are you？'
Jack nodded suspiciously。
'Hey； I didn't mean to get personal or anything。' He stepped forward； an easy； dark…haired young man in a sleeveless down vest and a plaid shirt。 'I especially don't want to make anybody feel funny now； ya know。' He paused； lifted his hands； palm…out。 'Really。 I was just thinking that you guys look like you've been on the road awhile。'
Jack glanced at Wolf； who was still hugging himself in embarrassment but also glowering through his round glasses at this figure。
'I've been there myself；' the man said。 'Hey； dig it…the year I got out of good old DHS…Daleville High； you know…I hitched all the way to northern California and all the way back。 Anyhow； if you're sort of going west； I can give you a lift。'
'Can't； Jacky。' Wolf spoke in a thunderous stage whisper。
'How far west？' Jack asked。 'We're trying to make it to Springfield。 I have a friend in Springfield。'
'Hey； no probleema； seenyor。' He raised his hands again。 'I'm going just this side of Cayuga； right next to the Illinois border。 You let me scarf a burger； we gone。 Straight shot。 An hour and a half； maybe less…you'll be about halfway to Springfield。'
'Can't；' Wolf rasped again。
'There's one problem； okay？ I got some stuff on the front seat。 One of you guys'll have to ride behind。 It's gonna be windy back there。'
'You don't know how great that is；' Jack said； speaking nothing more than the truth。 'We'll see you when you e back out。' Wolf began to dance in agitation。 'Honest。 We'll be out here； mister。 And thanks。'
He turned to whisper to Wolf as soon as the man went through the doors。
And so when the young man…Bill 'Buck' Thompson； for that was his name…returned to his pick…up carrying the containers for two more Whoppers； he found a sedate…looking Wolf kneeling in the open back； his arms resting on the side panel； mouth open； nose already lifting。 Jack was in the passenger seat； crowded by a stack of bulky plastic bags which had been taped； then stapled shut； and then sprayed extensively with room freshener； to judge by the smell。 Through the translucent sides the bags were visible long frondlike cuttings； medium green。 Clusters of buds grew on these amputated fronds。
'I reckoned you still looked a little hungry；' he said； and tossed another Whopper to Wolf。 Then he let himself in on the driver's side； across the pile of plastic bags from Jack。 'Thought he might catch it in his teeth； no reflection on your cousin。 Here； take this one； he already pulverized his。'
And a hundred miles west they went； Wolf delirious with joy to have the wind whipping past his head； half…hypnotized by the speed and variety of the odors which his nose caught in flight。 Eyes blazing and glowing； registering every nuance of the wind； Wolf twitched from side to side behind the cab； shoving his nose into the speeding air。
Buck Thompson spoke of himself as a farmer。 He talked nonstop during the seventy…five minutes he kept his foot near the floor； and never once asked Jack any questions。 And when he swung off onto a narrow dirt road just outside the Cayuga town line and stopped the car beside a cornfield that seemed to run for miles； he dug in his shirt pocket and brought out a faintly irregular cigarette rolled in almost tissuelike white paper。 'I've heard of red…eye；' he said。 'But your cousin's ridiculous。' He dropped the cigarette into Jack's hand。 'Have him take some of this when he gets excited； willya？ Doctor's orders。'
Jack absently stuffed the joint into his shirt pocket and climbed out of the cab。 'Thanks； Buck；' he called up to the driver。
'Man； I thought I'd seen something when I saw him eat；' Buck said。 'How do you get him to go places？ Yell mush！ mush！ at him？'
Once Wolf realized that the ride was over； he bounded off the back of the truck。
The red pick…up rolled off； leaving a long plume of dust behind it。
'Let's do that again！' Wolf sang out。 'Jacky！ Let's do that again！'
'Boy； I wish we could；' Jack said。 'e on； let's walk for a while。 Someone will probably e along。'
He was thinking that his luck had turned； that in no time at all he and Wolf would be over the border into Illinois…and he'd always been certain that things would go smoothly once he got to Springfield and Thayer School and Richard。 But Jack's mind was still partially in shed…time； where what is unreal bloats and distorts whatever is real