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Under Ghost's enthusiastic fingers； the guitar strings protested； then succumbed and sang their cacophonous song。 The G…string pinged out a tiny death knell as it snapped。 Ghost sang more softly； mourning it。 In the front seat Steve grinned； shook his head； and pushed the speed up a notch。 The sun was warm； and the road rose and fell smoothly away； and they almost drove past the place before Ghost stopped playing and said； 〃That's it！〃
Steve slowed； looked around。 〃Where？〃
Ghost pointed at a little house set back from the road。 It was painted green and sat on a big lawn still speckled yellow and white with late dandelions。 Out back； Steve thought he saw the gleam of a pond。 Sure enough； as he watched； a fat white goose came around the house and marched up the porch steps。 At the end of the driveway； a carefully stencilled sign read： CATLIN'S COUNTRY STORE。 PICKLES； PIES； PRESERVES。 CLOSED SUNDAYS
〃No way；〃 said Steve。
〃Sure； this is it。 Go on up the drive。〃
Steve twisted around to look at Ghost。 〃You're tryin' to tell me a witch owns this place？〃
Ghost looked hurt； 〃Miz Catlin's not a witch。 She was friends with my grandmother。 You think my grandmother was a witch？〃
Steve remained tactfully silent。
Ghost scowled。 〃Well； anyway。 Miz Catlin just knows about medicine； that's all。〃
Steve maneuvered the T…bird into a wide circle of gravel at the top of the driveway； trying not to run over any of the chrysanthemums that nodded in the sun behind a tiny white picket fence。 As he got out； another goose pecked at the toe of his boot； then flapped up onto the hood of the ear and fixed him with a baleful eye。
〃Stare at him；〃 Ghost said。 〃They won't bite you if you keep staring at them。〃
Steve backed away。 〃They bite？〃
〃Not really。 They hiss at you； mostly。 The only lime geese are ever dangerous is when you happen to be standing on the edge of a cliff。 I heard about a guy who almost got killed that way。
〃By geese？〃
〃Yeah； there was a whole flock of them ing after him。 All hissing and cackling and stabbing at his ankles with their big o1' beaks。 He didn't know you had to stare them right in the eye； and he panicked。 They backed him right over a fifty…foot cliff。〃
〃So how e he didn't die？〃
〃This guy had wings；〃 said Ghost。 〃He flew away。〃
Steve sighed with the air of one long…suffering but patient。
〃Miz Catlin？〃 Ghost said； putting his head around the screen door。 〃You here； Miz Catlin？〃
〃GHOST…CHILD！〃
A tiny old lady came barrelling out of the store's dimness and launched herself into Ghost's outstretched arms。 Ghost lifted her off the floor and hugged her hard； knocking her big flowered hat off。 Steve picked it up and held it awkwardly until Miz Catlin's little sneakered feet were on the floor again。
She adjusted the hat over her long gray hair； smiling up at Ghost。 〃How the hell did you ever get so big； child？ You grow another inch every time I see you。〃 She turned to Steve。 〃I was there when this kid saw his first light。 My sister Lexy delivered him。 I gave his mama a spoonful of mother…wort in wine； but there weren't no need。 He was the easiest baby I ever seen。 Once I pulled his caul off； he just laid there and watched us all with them holy blue eyes。 I gave him a decoction of pomegranate rind for the runs once。 Ate too many of my fresh green apples and couldn't stay off the pot for ten minutes at a time。 He weren't but this high。〃 Miz Catlin held her hand a couple of feet off the floor。
The little lady herself wasn't much taller； the top of her flowered hat reached about to Steve's rib cage。 Steve thought he remembered hearing this story before； but he smiled at Miz Catlin。 Ghost was studying the ceiling； the rose…and…vine…patterned wallpaper； the jars of bright penny candy on the shelves。 He saw Steve looking at him and scuffed his toe on the wooden floor。
Miz Catlin disengaged herself from Ghost's arms。 〃You and your good…looking friend just e out to brighten up an old lady's day； or you need some medicine？〃
〃It's my wisdom teeth。〃
〃O Lord。 Let me see 'em。〃 She peered into Ghost's mouth； prodded his gums with a wrinkled forefinger。 〃You're lucky。 Got a big mouth。 You won't have to get 'em pulled。 I'll make up that balm directly。 You want to poke around in the back room like you used to？〃
A crazy light came into Ghost's eyes。 〃Shit； yeah！ Steve； wait till you see what's back there。〃
Miz Catlin's dried…apple face registered astonishment。 〃This isn't Steve？ That skinny kid who used to hang around with you all the time？ Well； age surely made you handsome； Mister Steve Finn。〃 The old lady stared at Steve with such frankness that he wanted to look away； but he thought that might be rude。 Finally Miz Catlin giggled like a little girl and waved her hand at them。 〃Listen to me…I never could give up flirtin'。 Anyway； you kids take a good look back there。〃 She indicated the contents of the front room： baskets of hand…dipped candles； patchwork quilts； potpourris。 〃All this stuff； it's for the tourists。 Back in the back…that's my real stock。 Ghost'll show you。 He knows。〃
After the white…painted； sun…dappled walls of the front room； the back of the store seemed dark； the air heavy and oppressive。 There was a scent of dry antiseptic dust； of strange oily spirits。 Of herbs。 As Steve's eyes got used to the light； he realized that he and Ghost were standing in a room lined with thousands of small boxes and bottles。 There were shelves crammed with them； tall glass…fronted cabinets displaying them； open drawers stuffed with them。
〃It's all medicine；〃 Ghost said with reverence。 〃Antique patent medicine。 New ones； too。 Herb remedies。 The stock of a hundred old…time pharmacies。 Miz Catlin's got it all right here。〃 He stood in the middle of the room swaying gently from side to side； seeming to take in the essence of the place。 His hands hung limp at his sides。
Soon Ghost's eyes seemed to go transparent。 Steve thought that if he looked close enough he could see all the way through to the whorls of Ghost's brain； to the vaulted chamber of Ghost's skull。 The first time Steve had seen his friend go into this state； when they were kids； it had alarmed him。 He thought he was either watching the start of an epileptic fit or Ghost was about to die on him。 Now he was used to it。 Ghost was just getting real heavy into some mind…groove； as their friend Terry might have put it。 Other people thought hard； sometimes； but Ghost tranced out。 Steve watched him for a moment； then shrugged and started exploring the room。
He found big brown bottles with murky contents gone to powder； little bottles of heavy blue and green glass； cardboard boxes whose corners had gone softly ragged with age； their colors sifting down to the dusty wooden floor to mingle with the cobwebs。 Tucked into odd corners of the shelves were all manner of pharmaceutical curios： brass weights and measures； stained mortars and pestles； a glass globe full of brightly colored pills that looked like candy； a scale whose sign； YOUR WEIGHT AND FORTUNE； was almost obscured by dust。 A row of large amber bottles； all marked in a flowing black script： ELIXIR MALT