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He had turned around again when he heard the sound of the police car suddenly begin to grow louder again。
'Coppiceman's ing back！'
'Probably just going back to Cayuga；' Jack said。 'Turn around and just act like me。 Don't stare at him。'
Wolf and Jack trudged along； pretending to ignore the car； which seemed to hang behind them deliberately。 Wolf uttered a sound that was half…moan； half…howl。
The police car swung out into the road； passed them； flashed its brake lights； and then cut in diagonally before them。 The officer pushed open his door and got his feet planted on the ground。 Then he hoisted himself out of the seat。 He was roughly Jack's height； and all his weight was in his face and his stomach…his legs were twig…skinny； his arms and shoulders those of a normally developed man。 His gut； trussed in the brown uniform like a fifteen…pound turkey； bulged out on both sides of the wide brown belt。
'I can't wait for it；' he said； and cocked an arm and leaned on the open door。 'What's your story； anyhow？ Give。'
Wolf padded up behind Jack and hunched his shoulders； his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his overalls。
'We're going to Springfield； officer；' Jack said。 'We've been hitching…I guess maybe we shouldn't。'
'You guess maybe you shouldn't。 Hol…eee shit。 What's this guy tryinna disappear behind you； a Wookie？'
'He's my cousin。' Jack thought frantically for a moment…the Story had to be bent far enough to acmodate Wolf。 'I'm supposed to be taking him home。 He lives in Springfield with his Aunt Helen； I mean my Aunt Helen； the one who's a schoolteacher。 In Springfield。'
'What'd he do； escape from somewhere？'
'No； no； nothing like that。 It was just that…'
The cop looked at him neutrally； his face sizzling。 'Names。'
Now the boy met a dilemma： Wolf was certain to call him Jack； no matter what name he gave the cop。 'I'm Jack Parker；' he said。 'And he's…'
'Hold it。 I want the feeb to tell me himself。 e on； you。 You remember your name； basket case？'
Wolf squirmed behind Jack； digging his chin into the top of his overalls。 He muttered something。
'I couldn't hear you； sonny。'
'Wolf；' he whispered。
'Wolf。 Prob'ly I should have guessed。 What's your first name； or did they just give you a number？'
Wolf had squeezed his eyes shut； and was twisting his legs together。
'e on； Phil；' Jack said； thinking that it was one of the few names Wolf might remember。
But he had just finished it when Wolf pulled up his head and straightened his back and yelled； 'JACK！ JACK！ JACK WOLF！'
'We call him Jack sometimes；' the boy put in； knowing it was already too late。 'It's because he likes me so much； sometimes I'm the only one who can do anything with him。 I might even stay there in Springfield a few days after I get him home； just to make sure he settles down okay。'
'I sure am sick of the sound of your voice； Jack boy。 Why don't you and good old Phil…Jack get in the back seat here and we'll go into town and straighten everything out？' When Jack did not move； the policeman put a hand on the butt of the enormous pistol which hung from his straining belt。 'Get in the car。 Him first。 I want to find out why you're a hundred miles from home on a school day。 In the car。 Right now。'
'Ah； officer；' Jack began； and behind him Wolf rasped； 'No。 Can't。'
'My cousin has this problem；' Jack said。 'He's claustrophobic。 Small spaces； especially the insides of cars； drive him crazy。 We can only get rides in pick…ups； so he can be in the back。'
'Get in the car；' the policeman said。 He stepped forward and opened the back door。
'CAN'T！' Wolf wailed。 'Wolf CAN'T！ Stinks； Jacky； it stinks in there。' His nose and lip had wrinkled into corrugations。
'You get him in the car or I will；' the cop said to Jack。
'Wolf； it won't be for long；' Jack said； reaching for Wolf's hand。 Reluctantly； Wolf allowed him to take it。 Jack pulled him toward the back seat of the police car； Wolf literally dragging his feet across the surface of the road。
For a couple of seconds it looked as though it would work。 Wolf got close enough to the police car to touch the door…frame。 Then his entire body shook。 He clamped both hands onto the top of the doorframe。 It looked as though he were going to try to rip the top of the car in half； as a circus strong…man tears a telephone book in two。
'Please；' Jack said quietly。 'We have to。'
But Wolf was terrified； and too disgusted by whatever he had smelled。 He shook his head violently。 Slobber ran from his mouth and dripped onto the top of the car。
The policeman stepped around Jack and released something from a catch on his belt。 Jack had time only to see that it was not his pistol before the cop expertly whapped his blackjack into the base of Wolf's skull。 Wolf's upper body dropped onto the top of the car； and then all of Wolf slid gracefully down onto the dusty road。
'You get on his other side；' the cop said； fastening the sap to his belt。 'We're gonna finally get this big bag of shit into the vehicle。'
Two or three minutes later； after they had twice dropped Wolf's heavy unconscious body back onto the road； they were speeding toward Cayuga。 'I already know what's gonna happen to you and your feeb cousin； if he is your cousin； which I doubt。' The cop looked up at Jack in his rear…view mirror； and his eyes were raisins dipped in fresh tar。
All the blood in Jack's body seemed to swing down； down in his veins； and his heart jumped in his chest。 He had remembered the cigarette in his shirt pocket。 He clapped his hand over it； then jerked his hand away before the cop could say anything。
'I gotta put his shoes back on；' Jack said。 'They sort of fell off。'
'Forget it；' the cop said； but did not object further when Jack bent over。 Out of sight of the mirror； he first shoved one of the split…seamed loafers back up on Wolf's bare heel； then quickly snatched the joint out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth。 He bit into it； and dry crumbly particles with a oddly herbal taste spilled over his tongue。 Jack began to grind them between his teeth。 Something scratched down into his throat； and he convulsively jerked upright； put his hand in front of his mouth； and tried to cough with his lips together。 When his throat was clear； he hurriedly swallowed all of the dampened； now rather sludgy marijuana。 Jack ran his tongue over his teeth； collecting all the flecks and traces。
'You got a few surprises ahead of you；' the policeman said。 'You're gonna get a little sunlight in your soul。'
'Sunlight in my soul？' Jack asked； thinking that the cop had seen him stuff the joint into his mouth。
'A few blisters on your hands； too；' the cop said； and glared happily at Jack's guilty image in the rear…view mirror。
The Cayuga Municipal Building was a shadowy maze of unlighted hallways and narrow staircases that seemed to wind unexpectedly upward alongside equally narrow rooms。 Water sang and rumbled in the pipes。 'Let me explain something to you kids；' the policeman said； ushering them toward the last staircase to their right。 'You're not under arrest。 Got that？ You are being detained for questioning。 I don't want to hear any bullshit about one phone call。 You're in limbo until you tell us who you are and what you're up to；' the cop went on。 'You hear me？ Limbo。 Nowhere。 We're gonna see Judge Fairchild； he's the magistrate； and if you don't tell us the truth； you're gonna pay some big fuckin consequences。 Upstairs。 Move it！'
At the top of the stairs the policeman pushed a door open。 A middle…aged woman in wire glasses and a black dress looked up from a typewriter placed sideways against the far wall。 'Two more runaways；' the policeman said。 'Tell him we're here。'
She nodded； picked up her telephone； and spoke a few words。 'You may go in；' the secretary said to them； her eyes wandering from Wolf to Jack and back again。
The cop pushed them across the anteroom and opened the door to a room twice as large； lined with books on one long wall； framed photographs and diplomas and certificates on another。 Blinds had been lowered across the long windows opposite。 A tall skinny man in a dark suit； a wrinkled white shirt； and a narrow tie of no discernible pattern stood up behind a chipped wooden desk that must have been six feet long。 The man's face was a relief map of wrinkles； and his hair was so black it must have been dyed。 Stale cigarette smoke hung visibly in the air。 'Well； what have we got here； Franky？' His voice was startlingly deep； almost theatrical。
'Kids I picked up on French Lick Road； over by Thompson's place。'
Judge Fairchild's wrinkles contorted into a smile as he looked at Jack。 'You have any identification papers on you； son？'
'No sir；' Jack said。
'Have you told Officer Williams here the truth about everything？ He doesn't think you have； or you wouldn't be here。'
'Yes sir；' Jack said。
'Then tell me your story。' He walked around his desk； disturbing the flat layers of smoke just over his head； and half…sat； half…leaned on the front corner nearest Jack。 Squinting； he lit a cigarette…Jack saw the Judge's recessed pale eyes peering at him through the smoke and knew there was no charity in them。
It was the pitcher plant again。
Jack drew in a large breath。 'My name is Jack Parker。 He's my cousin； and he's called Jack； too。 Jack Wolf。 But his real name is Philip。 He was staying with us in Daleville because his dad's dead and his mother got sick。 I was just taking him back to Springfield。'
'Simple…minded； is he？'
'A little slow；' Jack said； and glanced up at Wolf。 His friend seemed barely conscious。
'What's your mother's name？' the Judge asked Wolf。 Wolf did not respond in any way。 His eyes were clamped shut and his hands stuffed into his pockets。
'She's named Helen；' Jack said。 'Helen Vaughan。'
The Judge eased himself off the desk and walked slowly over to Jack。 'Have you been drinking； son？ You're a little unsteady。'
'No。'
Judge Fairchild came to within a foot of Jack and bent down。 'Let me smell your breath。'
Jack opened his mouth and exhaled。
'Nope。 No booze。' The Judge straightened up again。 'But that's the only thing you were telling the truth about； isn't it？ You're trying to string me along； boy。'
'I'm sorry we were hitching；' Jack said； aware that he had to speak with great caution now。 Not only might what he said determine whether he and Wolf were to be let free； but he was having a little trouble forming the words themselves…everything seemed to be happening with great slowness。 As in the shed； the seconds had wandered off the metronome。 'In fact； we hardly ever hitch because Wolf…Jack； that is…hates being in cars。 We'll never do it again。 We haven't done anything wrong； sir； and that really is the truth。'
'You don't understand； sonny；' the Judge said； and his far…off eyes gleamed again。 He's enjoying this； Jack understood。 Judge Fairchild moved slowly back behind his desk。 'Hitching rides isn't the issue。 You two boys are out on the road by yourself； ing from nowhere； going nowhere…real targets for trouble。' His voice was like dark honey。 'Now we have here in this country what we think is a most unusual facility…state…approved and state…funded； by the way…which might have been set up expressly for the benefit of boys like yourselves。 It's called the Sunlight Gardener Scripture Home for Wayward Boys。 Mr。 Gardener's work with young fellows in trouble has been nothing short of miraculous。 We've sent him some tough cases； and in no time at all he has those boys on their knees begging Jesus for forgiveness。 Now I'd say that was pretty special； wouldn't you？'
Jack swallowed。 His mouth felt drier than it had been in the shed。 'Ah； sir； it's really urgent that we get to Springfield。 Everybody's going to wonder…'
'I very much doubt that；' said the Judge； smiling with all his wrinkles。 'But I'll tell you what。 As soon as you two wags are on your way to the Sunlight Home； I'll telephone Spring…field and try to get the number of this Helen 。 。 。 Wolf； is it？ Or is it Helen Vaughan？'
'Vaughan；' Jack said； and a red…hot blush covered his face like a fever。
'Ye