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〃He was here when we needed him；〃 he said。 〃I can do him a favor； I guess。〃
〃Barter system？〃
He shrugged； unwilling and unsure how to tell her that he had taken a liking to Crandall on short notice。 〃How's his wife？〃
〃Very sweet；〃 Rachel said。 〃Gage sat on her lap。 I was surprised because he's had a hard day； and you know he doesn't take very well to new people on short notice under the best of circumstances。 And she had a dolly she let Eileen play with。〃
〃How bad would you say her arthritis is？〃 〃Quite bad。〃
〃In a wheelchair？〃
〃No 。 。 。 but she walks very slowly； and her fingers 。 。
Rachel held her own slim fingers up and hooked them into claws to demonstrate。 Louis nodded。 〃Anyway； don't be late； Lou。 I get the creeps in strange houses。〃
〃It won't be strange for long；〃 Louis said and kissed her。
6
Louis came back later feeling small。 No one asked him to examine Norma Crandall； when he crossed the street （rud； he reminded himself； smiling）； the lady had already retired for the night。 Jud was a vague silhouette behind the screens of the enclosed porch。 There was the fortable squeak of a rocker on old linoleum。 Louis knocked on the screen door； which rattled panionably against its frame。 Crandall's cigarette glowed like a large； peaceable firefly in the summer darkness。 From a radio； low； came the voice of a Red Sox game； and all of it gave Louis Creed the oddest feeling of ing home。
〃Doc；〃 Crandall said。 〃I thought that was you。〃
Hope you meant it about the beer；〃 Louis said； ing in。
〃Oh； about beer I never lie；〃 Crandall said。 〃A man who lies about beer makes enemies。 Sit down； Doc。 I put an extra couple on ice； just in case。〃
The porch was long and narrow； furnished with rattan chairs and sofas。 Louis sank into one and was surprised at how fortable it was。 At his left hand was a tin pail filled with ice cubes and a few cans of Black Label。 He took one。
〃Thank you；〃 he said and opened it。 The first two swallows hit his throat like a blessing。
〃More'n wele；〃 Crandall said。 〃I hope your time here will be a happy one； Doc。〃
〃Amen；〃 Louis said。
〃Say！ If you want crackers or somethin； I could get some。 I got a wedge of rat that's just about ripe。〃
〃A wedge of what？〃
〃Rat cheese。〃 Crandall sounded faintly amused。
〃Thanks； but just the beer will do me。〃
〃Well then； we'll just let her go。〃 Crandall belched contentedly。
〃Your wife gone to bed？〃 Louis asked； wondering why he was opening the door like this。
〃Ayuh。 Sometimes she stays up。 Sometimes she don't。〃
〃Her arthritis is quite painful； isn't it？〃
〃You ever see a case that wasn't？〃 Crandall asked。
Louis shook his head。
〃I guess it's tolerable；〃 Crandall said。 〃She don't plain much。 She's a good old girl； my Norma。〃 There was a great and simple weight of affection in his voice。 Out on Route 15； a tanker truck droned by； one so big and long that for a moment Louis couldn't see his house across the road。 Written on the side； just visible in the last light； was the word
ORINCO。
〃One hell of a big truck；〃 Louis mented。
〃Orinco's near Orrington；〃 Crandall said。 〃Chemical fertilizer fact'ry。 They e and go； all right。 And the oil tankers； and the dump trucks； and the people who go to work in Bangor or Brewer and e home at night。〃 He shook his head。 〃That's the one thing about Ludlow I don't like anymore。 That frigging road。 No peace from it。 They go all day and all night。 Wake Norma up sometimes。 Hell； wake me up sometimes； and I sleep like a goddam log。〃
Louis； who thought this strange Maine landscape almost eerily quiet after the constant roar of Chicago； only nodded his head。
〃One day soon the Arabs will pull the plug； and they'll be able to grow African violets right down the yellow line；〃 Crandall said。
〃You might be right。〃 Louis tilted his can back and was surprised to find it empty。
Crandall laughed。 〃You just grab yourself one to grow on； Doc。〃
Louis hesitated and then said； 〃All right； but just one more。 I have to be getting back。〃
〃Sure you do。 Ain't moving a bitch？〃
〃It is；〃 Louis agreed； and then for a time they were silent。 The silence was a fortable one； as if they had known each other for a long time。 This was a feeling about which Louis had read in books； but which he had never experienced until now。 He felt ashamed of his casual thoughts about free medical advice earlier。
On the road a semi roared by； its running lights twinkling like earthstars。
〃That's one mean road； all right；〃 Crandall repeated thoughtfully； almost vaguely； and then turned to Louis。 There was a peculiar little smile on his seamed mouth。 He poked a Chesterfield into one corner of the smile and popped a match with his thumbnail。 〃You remember the path there that your little girl mented on？〃
For a moment Louis didn't； Ellie had mented on a whole catalogue of things before finally collapsing for the night。 Then he did remember。 That wide mown patch winding up through the copse of trees and over the hill。
〃Yes； I do。 You promised to tell her about it sometime。〃
〃I did； and I will；〃 Crandall said。 〃That path goes up into the woods about a mile and a half。 The local kids around Route 15 and Middle Drive keep it nice because they use it。 Kids e and go 。 。 。 there's a lot more moving around than there used to be when I was a boy； then you picked a place out and stuck to it。 But they seem to tell each other； and every spring a bunch of them mows that path。 They keep it nice all the summer long。 Not all of the adults in town know it's there…a lot of them do； of course； but not all； not by a long chalk…but all of the kids do。 I'd bet on it。〃
〃Know what's there？〃
〃The pet cemetery；〃 Crandall said。
〃Pet cemetery；〃 Louis repeated； bemused。
〃It's not as odd as it prob'ly sounds；〃 Crandall said； smoking and rocking。 〃It's the road。 It uses up a lot of animals； that road does。 Dogs and cats； mostly； but that ain't all。 One of those big Orinco trucks run down the pet raccoon the Ryder …children used to keep。 That was back…Christ； must have been in '73； maybe earlier。 Before the state made keeping a coon or even a denatured skunk illegal； anyway。〃
〃Why did they do that？〃
〃Rabies；〃 Crandall said。 〃Lot of rabies in Maine now。 There was a big old St。 Bernard went rabid downstate a couple of years ago and killed four people。 That was a hell of a thing。 Dog hadn't had his shots。 If those foolish people had seen that dog had had its shots； it never would have happened。 But a coon or a skunk； you can vaccinate it twice a year and still it don't always take。 But that coon the Ryder boys had； that was what the oldtimers used to call a 'sweet coon。' It'd waddle right up to you…gorry； wa'n't he fat！…and lick your face like a dog。 Their dad even paid a vet to spay him and declaw him。 That must have cost him a country fortune！
〃Ryder； he worked for IBM in Bangor。 They went out to Colorado five years ago 。 。 。 or maybe it was six。 Funny to think of those two almost old enough to drive。 Were they broken up over that coon？ I guess they were。 Matty Ryder cried so long his mom got scared and wa