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； inhaling water。 He got up again quick； coughing and choking； one hand feeling inside his jerkin for the bottle； afraid it might have washed away。 It was still there。
'Boy！ Turn around and look at me； boy！'
No time just now； Morgan。 Sorry； but I've got to see if I can avoid getting drowned by Wolf's herd before I see if I can avoid getting fried by your doomstick there。 I…
Blue fire arched over Jack's shoulder； sizzling…it was like a deadly electric rainbow。 It struck one of the cow…sheep caught in the reedy muck on the other side of the stream and the unfortunate beast simply exploded； as if it had swallowed dynamite。 Blood flew in a needle…spray of droplets。 Gobbets of flesh began to rain down around Jack。
'Turn and look at me； boy！'
He could feel the force of that mand； gripping his face with invisible hands； trying to turn it。
Wolf struggled up again； his hair plastered against his face； his dazed eyes peering through a curtain of it like the eyes of an English sheepdog。 He was coughing and staggering； seemingly no longer aware of where he was。
'Wolf！' Jack screamed； but thunder exploded across the blue sky again； drowning him out。
Wolf bent over and retched up a great muddy sheet of water。 A moment later another of the terrified cow…sheep struck him and bore him under again。
That's it； Jack thought despairingly。 That's it； he's gone； must be； let him go； get out of here…
But he struggled on toward Wolf； pushing a dying； weakly convulsing cow…sheep out of his way to get there。
'Jason！' Morgan of Orris screamed； and Jack realized that Morgan was not cursing in the Territories argot； he was calling his； Jack's； name。 Only here he was not Jack。 Here he was Jason。
But the Queen's son died an infant； died； he…
The wet； sizzling zap of electricity again； seeming almost to part his hair。 Again it struck the other bank； this time vaporizing one of Wolf's cattle。 No； Jack saw； at least not utterly。 The animal's legs were still there； mired in the mud like shake…poles。 As he watched； they began to sag tiredly outward in four different directions。
'TURN AND LOOK AT ME； GOD POUND YOU！' The water； why doesn't he throw it at the water； fry me； Wolf； all these animals at the same time？
Then his fifth…grade science came back to him。 Once electricity went to water； it could go anywhere 。 。 。 including back to the generator of the current。
Wolf's dazed face； floating underwater； drove these thoughts from Jack's flying mind。 Wolf was still alive； but partially pinned under a cow…sheep； which； although apparently unhurt； had frozen in panic。 Wolf's hands waved with pathetic； flagging energy。 As Jack closed the last of the distance； one of those hands dropped and simply floated； limp as a water…lily。
Without slowing； Jack lowered his left shoulder and hit the cow…sheep like Jack Armstrong in a boy's sports story。
If it had been a full…sized cow instead of a Territories pact model； Jack would probably not have budged it； not with the stream's fairly stiff current working against him。 But it was smaller than a cow； and Jack was pumped up。 It bawled when Jack hit it； floundered backward； sat briefly on its haunches； and then lunged for the far bank。 Jack grabbed Wolf's hands and pulled with all of his might。
Wolf came up as reluctantly as a waterlogged tree…trunk； his eyes now glazed and half…closed； water streaming from his ears and nose and mouth。 His lips were blue。
Twin forks of lightning blazed to the right and left of where Jack stood holding Wolf； the two of them looking like a pair of drunks trying to waltz in a swimming pool。 On the far bank； another cow…sheep flew in all directions； its severed head still bawling。 Hot rips of fire zigzagged through the marshy area； lighting the reeds on the tussocks and then find…ing the drier grass of the field where the land began to rise again。
'Wolf！' Jack screamed。 'Wolf； for Christ's sake！'
'Auh；' Wolf moaned； and vomited warm muddy water over Jack's shoulder。 'Auhhhhhhhhhhh 。 。 。 '
Now Jack saw Morgan standing on the other bank； a tall； Puritanical figure in his black cloak。 His hood framed his pallid； vampirelike face with a kind of cheerless romance。 Jack had time to think that the Territories had worked their magic even here； on behalf of his dreadful uncle。 Over here； Morgan was not an overweight； hypertensive actuarial toad with piracy in his heart and murder in his mind； over here； his face had narrowed and found a frigid masculine beauty。 He pointed the silver rod like a toy magic wand； and blue fire tore the air open。
'Now you and your dumb friend！' Morgan screamed。 His thin lips split in a triumphant grin； revealing sunken yellow teeth that spoiled Jack's blurred impression of beauty once and forever。
Wolf screamed and jerked in Jack's aching arms。 He was staring at Morgan； his eyes orange and bulging with hate and fear。
'You； devil！' Wolf screamed。 'You； devil！ My sister！ My litter…sister！ Wolf！ Wolf！ You； devil！'
Jack pulled the bottle out of his jerkin。 There was a single swallow left anyway。 He couldn't hold Wolf up with his one arm； he was losing him； and Wolf seemed unable to support himself。 Didn't matter。 Couldn't take him back through into the other world anyway 。 。 。 or could he？
'You； devil！' Wolf screamed； weeping； his wet face sliding down Jack's arm。 The back of his bib overalls floated and belled in the water。
Smell of burning grass and burning animals。
Thunder； exploding。
This time the river of fire in the air rushed by Jack so close that the hairs in his nostrils singed and curled。
'OH YES； BOTH OF YOU； BOTH OF YOU！' Morgan howled。 'I'LL TEACH YOU TO GET IN MY WAY； YOU LITTLE BASTARD！ I'LL BURN BOTH OF YOU！ I'LL POUND YOU DOWN！'
'Wolf； hold on！' Jack yelled。 He gave up his effort to hold Wolf up； instead； he snatched Wolf's hand in his own and held it as tightly as he could。 'Hold on to me； do you hear？'
'Wolf！'
He tipped the bottle up； and the awful cold taste of rotted grapes filled his mouth for the last time。 The bottle was empty。 As he swallowed； he heard it shatter as one of Morgan's bolts of lightning struck it。 But the sound of the breaking glass was faint 。 。 。 the tingle of electricity 。 。 。 even Morgan's screams of rage。
He felt as if he were falling over backward into a hole。 A grave； maybe。 Then Wolf's hand squeezed down on Jack's so hard that Jack groaned。 That feeling of vertigo； of having done a plete dipsy…doodle； began to fade 。 。 。 and then the sunlight faded； too； and became the sad purplish gray of an October twilight in the heartland of America。 Cold rain struck Jack in the face； and he was faintly aware that the water he was standing in seemed much colder than it had only seconds ago。 Somewhere not far away he could hear the familiar snoring drone of the big rigs on the interstate 。 。 。 except that now they seemed to be ing from directly overhead。
Impossible； he thought； but was it？ The bounds of that word seemed to be stretching with plastic ease。 For one dizzy moment he had an image of flying Territories trucks driven by flying Territories men with big canvas wings strapped to their backs。
Back； he thought。 Back again； same time； same turnpike。 He sneezed。
Same cold； too。
But two things were not the same now。
No rest area here。 They were standing thigh…deep in the icy water of a stream beneath a turnpike overpass。
Wolf was with him。 That was the other change。
And Wolf was screaming。
CHAPTER 18
Wolf Goes to the Movies
1
Overhead； another truck pounded across the overpass； big diesel engine bellowing。 The overpass shook。 Wolf wailed and clutched at Jack； almost knocking them both into the water。
'Quit it！' Jack shouted。 'Let go of me； Wolf！ It's just a truck！ Let go！'
He slapped at Wolf； not wanting to do it…Wolf's terror was pathetic。 But； pathetic or not； Wolf had the best part of a foot and maybe a hundred and fifty pounds on Jack； and if he overbore him； they would both go into this freezing water and it would be pneumonia for sure。
'Wolf！ Don't like it！ Wolf！ Don't like it！ Wolf！ Wolf！'
But his hold slackened。 A moment later his arms dropped to his sides。 When another truck snored by overhead； Wolf cringed but managed to keep from grabbing Jack again。 But he looked at Jack with a mute； trembling appeal that said Get me out of this； please get me out of this； I'd rather be dead than in this world。
Nothing I'd like better； Wolf； but Morgan's over there。 Even if he weren't； I don't have the magic juice anymore。
He looked down at his left hand and saw he was holding the jagged neck of Speedy's bottle； like a man getting ready to do some serious barroom brawling。 Just dumb luck Wolf hadn't gotten a bad cut when he grabbed Jack in his terror。
Jack tossed it away。 Splash。
Two trucks this time…the noise was doubled。 Wolf howled in terror and plastered his hands over his ears。 Jack could see that most of the hair had disappeared from Wolf's hands in the flip…most； but not all。 And； he saw； the first two fingers of each of Wolf's hands were exactly the same length。
'e on； Wolf；' Jack said when the racket of the trucks had faded a little。 'Let's get out of here。 We look like a couple of guys waiting to get baptized on a PTL Club special。'
He took Wolf's hand； and then winced at the panicky way Wolf's grip closed down。 Wolf saw his expression and loosened up 。 。 。 a little。
'Don't leave me； Jack；' Wolf said。 'Please； please don't leave me。'
'No； Wolf； I won't；' Jack said。 He thought： How do you get into these things； you asshole？ Here you are； standing under a turnpike overpass somewhere in Ohio with your pet werewolf。 How do you do it？ Do you practice？ And； oh； by the way； what's happening with the moon； Jack…O？ Do you remember？
He didn't； and with clouds blanketing the sky and a cold rain falling； there was no way to tell。
What did that make the odds？ Thirty to one in his favor？ Twenty…eight to two？
Whatever the odds were； they weren't good enough。 Not the way things were going。
'No； I won't leave you；' he repeated； and then led Wolf toward the far bank of the stream。 In the shallows； the decayed remains of some child's dolly floated belly…up； her glassy blue eyes staring into the growing dark。 The muscles of Jack's arm ached from the strain of pulling Wolf through into this world； and the joint in his shoulder throbbed like a rotted tooth。
As they came out of the water onto the weedy； trashy bank； Jack began to sneeze again。
2
This time； Jack's total progress in the Territories had been half a mile west…the distance Wolf had moved his herd so they could drink in the stream where Wolf himself had later almost been drowned。 Over here； he found himself ten miles farther west； as best he could figure。 They struggled up the bank…Wolf actually ended up pulling Jack most of the way…and in the last of the daylight Jack could see an exit…ramp splitting off to the right some fifty yards up the road。 A reflectorized sign read： ARCANUM LAST EXIT IN OHIO STATE LINE 15 MILES。
'We've got to hitch；' Jack said。
'Hitch？' Wolf said doubtfully。
'Let's have a look at you。'
He thought Wolf would do； at least in the dark。 He was still wearing the bib overalls； which now had an actual OSHKOSH label on them。 His homespun shirt had bee a machine…produced blue chambray that looked like an Army…Navy Surplus special。 His formerly bare feet were clad in a huge pair of dripping penny loafers and white socks。
Oddest of all； a pair of round steel…rimmed spectacles of the sort John Lennon used to wear sat in the middle of Wolf's big face。
'Wolf； did you have trouble seeing？ Over in the Territories？'
'I didn't know I did；' Wolf said。 'I guess so。 Wolf！ I sure see better over here； with these glass eyes。 Wolf； right here and now！' He looked out at the roaring turnpike traffic； and for just a moment Jack saw what he must be seeing： great steel beasts with huge yellow…white eyes； snarling through the night at unimaginable speeds； rubber wheels blistering the road。 'I see better than I want to；' Wolf finished forlornly。