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minutes later； Rachel said she believed Gage had had enough of the wind。 She was afraid he would get a chill；
So the kite was pulled back in； fighting for the sky at every turn of the twine； at last surrendering。 Louis tucked it； black wings； buggy bloodshot eyes； and all； under his arm and imprisoned it in the storage closet again。 That night Gage ate an enormous supper of hot dogs and beans； and while Rachel was dressing him in his Dr。 Dentons for bed； Louis took Ellie aside and had a heart…to…heart talk with her about leaving her marbles around。 Under other circumstances； he might have ended up shouting at her because Ellie could turn quite haughty…insulting； even…when accused of some mistake。 It was only her way of dealing with criticism； but that did not keep it from infuriating Louis when she laid it on too thick or when he was particularly tired。 But this night the kite flying had left him in a fine mood； and Ellie was inclined to be reasonable。 She agreed to be more careful and then went downstairs to watch TV until 8：30； a Saturday indulgence she treasured。 Okay； that's out of the way； and it might even do some good； Louis thought； not knowing that marbles were really not the problem； and chills were really not the problem； that a large Orinco truck was going to be the problem； that the road was going to be the problem。 。 。 as Jud Crandall had warned them it might be on that first day of August。
He went upstairs that night about fifteen minutes after Cage had been put to bed。 He found his son quiet but still awake； drinking the last of a bottle of milk and looking contemplatively up at the ceiling。
Louis took one of Gage's feet in one hand and raised it up。 He kissed it； lowered it。 〃Goodnight； Gage；〃 he said。
〃Kite flyne； Daddy；〃 Gage said。
〃It really did fly； didn't it？〃 Louis said； and for no reason at all he felt tears behind his eyes。 〃Right up to the sky； my man。〃
〃Kite flyne；〃 Cage said。 〃Up to the kye。〃
He rolled over on his side； closed his eyes； and slept。 Just like that。
Louis was stepping into the hail when he glanced back and saw yellowy…green； disembodied eyes staring out at him from Gage's closet。 The closet door was open 。 。 。 just a crack。 His heart took a lurch into his throat； and his mouth pulled back and down in a grimace。
He opened the closet door； thinking
（Zelda it's Zelda in the closet her black tongue puffing out between her lips）
he wasn't sure what； but of course it was only Church； the cat was in the closet； and when it saw Louis it arched its back like a cat on a Halloween card。 It hissed at him； its mouth partly open； revealing its needle…sharp teeth。
〃Get out of there；〃 Louis whispered。
Church hissed again。 It did not move。
〃Get out； I said。〃 He picked up the first thing that came to hand in the litter of Gage's toys； a bright plastic Chuggy…ChuggyChoo…Choo which in this dim light was the maroon color of dried blood。 He brandished it at Church； the cat not only stood its ground but hissed again。
And suddenly； without even thinking； Louis threw the toy at the cat； not playing； not goofing around； he pegged the toy at the cat as hard as he could； furious at it； and scared of it too； that it should hide here in the darkened closet of his son's room and refuse to leave； as if it had a right to be there。
The toy lootive struck the cat dead center。 Church uttered a squawk and fled； displaying its usual grace by slamming into the door and almost falling over on its way out。
Cage stirred； muttered something； shifted position； and was still again。 Louis felt a little sick。 There was sweat standing out in beads on his forehead。
〃Louis？〃 Rachel； from downstairs； sounding alarmed。 〃Did Gage fall out of his crib？〃
〃He's fine； honey。 Church knocked over a couple of his toys。〃
〃Oh； all right。〃
He felt…irrationally or otherwise…the way he might have felt if he had looked in on his son and found a snake crawling over him or a big rat perched on the bookshelf over Gage's crib。 Of course it was irrational。 But when it had hissed at him from the closet like that。
（Zelda did you think Zelda did you think Oz the Gweat and Tewwible？）
He closed Gage's closet door； sweeping a number of toys back in with its moving foot。 He listened to the tiny click of the latch。 After a moment's further hesitation； he turned the closet's thumbbolt。
He went back to Gage's crib。 In shifting around； the kid had kicked his two blankets down around his knees。 Louis disentangled him； pulled the blankets up； and then merely stood there； watching his son； for a long time。
PART TWO
THE MICMAC BURYING GROUND
When Jesus came to Bethany； he found that Lazarus had lain in the grave four days already。 When Martha heard that Jesus was ing； she hurried to meet him。
〃Lord；〃 she said； 〃if you had been here； my brother would not have died。 But now you are here； and I know that whatever you ask of God； God will grant。〃
Jesus answered her： 〃Your brother shall rise again。〃
…JOHN'S GOSPEL （paraphrase）
〃Hey…ho； let's go。〃
…THE RAMONES
36
It's probably wrong to believe there can be any limit to the horror which the human mind can experience。 On the contrary； it seems that some exponential effect begins to obtain as deeper and deeper darkness falls…as little as one may like to admit it； human experience tends； in a good many ways； to support the idea that when the nightmare grows black enough； horror spawns horror； one coincidental evil begets other； often more deliberate evils； until finally blackness seems to cover everything。 And the most terrifying question of all may be just how much horror the human mind can stand and still maintain a wakeful； staring； unrelenting sanity。 That such events have their own Rube Goldberg absurdity goes almost without saying。 At some point； it all starts to bee rather funny。 That may be the point at which sanity begins either to save itself or to buckle and break down； that point at which one's sense of humor begins to reassert itself。
Louis Creed might have harbored such thoughts if he had been thinking rationally following the funeral of his son； Gage William Creed； on the seventeenth of May； but any rational thought…or attempt at it…ceased at the funeral parlor； where a fistfight with his father…in…law （bad enough） resulted in an event even more terrible…a final bit of outrageous gothic melodrama which shattered whatever remained of Rachel's fragile self…control。 That day's penny dreadful events were only plete when she was pulled； screaming； from the East Room of the Brookings…Smith Mortuary； where Gage lay in his closed coffin； and sedated in the foyer by Surrendra Hardu。
The irony of it was that she would not have experienced that final episode at all； that extravagance of horror； one might say； if the fistfight between Louis Creed and Mr。 Irwin Goldman of Dearborn had taken place at the morning visiting hours （10 to 11：30 A。M。） instead of at the afternoon visiting hours （2 to 3：30 P。M。）。 Rachel had not been in attendance at the morning visiting hours； she simply had not been able to e。 She sat at home with Jud Crandall and