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Richard。
Wolf running across that dead world； calling out 。 。 。 what？
Jason。
The boy's heart executed a quick； decided leap； with the kick of a horse clearing a fence。
CHAPTER 29
Richard at Thayer
1
At eleven o'clock the next morning an exhausted Jack Sawyer unshouldered his pack at the end of a long playing field covered with crisp brown dead grass。 Far away； two men in plaid jackets and baseball caps labored with leaf…blower and rake down on the stretch of lawn surrounding the most distant group of buildings。 To Jack's left； directly behind the red…brick backside of the Thayer library； was the faculty parking lot。 In the front of Thayer School a great gate opened onto a tree…lined drive which circled around a large quad crisscrossed with narrow paths。 If anything stood out on the campus； it was the library…a Bauhaus steamship of glass and steel and brick。
Jack had already seen that a secondary gate opened onto another access road before the library。 This ran two…thirds the length of the school and ended at the garbage Dumpsters nested in the round cul…de…sac just before the land climbed up to form the plateau of the football field。
Jack began to move across the top of the field toward the rear of the classroom buildings。 When the Thayerites began to go to dining hall； he could find Richard's room…Entry 5； Nelson House。
The dry winter grass crunched beneath his feet。 Jack pulled Myles P。 Kiger's excellent coat tightly about him…the coat at least looked preppy； if Jack did not。 He walked between Thayer Hall and an Upper School dormitory named Spence House； in the direction of the quad。 Lazy preluncheon voices came through the Spence House windows。
2
Jack glanced toward the quad and saw an elderly man； slightly stooped and of a greenish…bronze； standing on a plinth the height of a carpenter's bench and examining the cover of a heavy book。 Elder Thayer； Jack surmised。 He was dressed in the stiff collar； flowing tie； and frock coat of a New England Transcendentalist。 Elder Thayer's brass head inclined over the volume； pointed generally in the direction of the classroom buildings。
Jack took the right…angle at the end of the path。 Sudden noise erupted from an upstairs window ahead…boys shouting out the syllables of a name that sounded like 'Etheridge！ Etheridge！' Then an irruption of wordless screams and shouts； acpanied by the sounds of heavy furniture moving across a wooden floor。 'Etheridge！'
Jack heard a door closing behind his back； and looked over his shoulder to see a tall boy with dirty…blond hair rushing down the steps of Spence House。 He wore a tweed sport jacket and a tie and a pair of L。 L。 Bean Maine hunting shoes。 Only a long yellow…and…blue scarf wound several times around his neck protected him from the cold。 His long face looked both haggard and arrogant； and just now was the face of a senior in a self…righteous rage。 Jack pushed the hood of the loden coat over his head and moved down the path。
'I don't want anybody to move！' the tall boy shouted up at the closed window。 'You freshmen just stay put！'
Jack drifted toward the next building。
'You're moving the chairs！' the tall boy screamed behind him。 'I can hear you doing it！ STOP！' Then Jack heard the furious senior call out to him。
Jack turned around； his heart beating loudly。
'Get over to Nelson House right now； whoever you are； on the double； post…haste； immediately。 Or I'll go to your house master。'
'Yes sir；' Jack said； and quickly turned away to move in the direction the prefect had pointed。
'You're at least seven minutes late！' Etheridge screeched at him； and Jack was startled into jogging。 'On the double； I said！' Jack turned the jog into a run。
When he started downhill （he hoped it was the right way； it was； anyway； the direction in which Etheridge had seemed to be looking）； he saw a long black car…a limousine…just beginning to swing through the main front gates and whisper up the long drive to the quad。 He thought that maybe whatever sat behind the tinted windows of the limousine was nothing so ordinary as the parent of a Thayer School sophomore。
The long black car eased forward； insolently slow。
No； Jack thought； I'm spooking myself。
Still he could not move。 Jack watched the limousine pull up to the bottom of the quad and stop； its motor running。 A black chauffeur with the shoulders of a running back got out of the front seat and opened the rear passenger door。 An old white…haired man； a stranger； effortfully got out of the limousine's back seat。 He wore a black topcoat which revealed an immaculate white shirtfront and a solid dark tie。 The man nodded to his chauffeur and began to toil across the quad in the direction of the main building。 He never even looked in Jack's direction。 The chauffeur elaborately craned his neck and looked upward； as if speculating about the possibility of snow。 Jack stepped backward and watched while the old man made it to the steps of Thayer Hall。 The chauffeur continued his specious examination of the sky。 Jack melted backward down the path until the side of the building shielded him； and then he turned around and began to trot。
Nelson House was a three…story brick building on the other side of the quadrangle。 Two windows on the ground floor showed him a dozen seniors exercising their privileges： reading while sprawled on couches； playing a desultory game of cards on a coffee table； others stared lazily at what must have been a television set parked beneath the windows。
An unseen door slammed shut a little farther up the hill； and Jack caught a glimpse of the tall blond senior； Etheridge； stalking back to his own building after dealing with the freshmen's crimes。
Jack cut across the front of the building and a gust of cold wind smacked up against him as soon as he reached its side。 And around the corner was a narrow door and a plaque （wooden this time； white with Gothic black lettering） saying ENTRY 5。 A series of windows stretched down to the next corner。
And here； at the third window…relief。 For here was Richard Sloat； his eyeglasses firmly hooked around his ears； his necktie knotted； his hands only slightly stained with ink； sitting erect at his desk and reading some fat book as if for dear life。 He was positioned sideways to Jack； who had time to take in Richard's dear； well…known profile before he rapped on the glass。
Richard's head jerked up from the book。 He stared wildly about him； frightened and surprised by the sudden noise。
'Richard；' Jack said softly； and was rewarded by the sight of his friend's astonished face turning toward him。 Richard looked almost moronic with surprise。
'Open the window；' Jack said； mouthing the words with exaggerated care so that his friend could read his lips。
Richard stood up from his desk； still moving with the slowness of shock。 Jack mimed pushing the window up。 When Richard reached the window he put his hands on the frame and looked down severely at Jack for a moment…in that short and critical glance was a judgment about Jack's dirty face and unwashed； lank hair； his unorthodox arrival； muc