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This； clearly； was Bast。
'Well； perhaps it will e to me later；' Sunlight Gardener said。 'Heck； e up here and help our new arrivals at the desk； will you？'
Bast lumbered forward； scowling。 He made a point of ing up very close to Wolf before he sidestepped past him； scowling more fiercely all the while…if Wolf had opened his eyes； which he did not； he would have seen no more than the ravaged moonscape of Bast's forehead and the mean small eyes； like a bear's eyes； bulging up at him from beneath crusty brows。 Bast switched his gaze to Jack； muttered； 'C'mon；' and flapped a hand toward the desk。
'Registration； then take them up to the laundry for clothes；' Gardener said in a flat voice。 He smiled with chromelike brilliance at Jack。 'Jack Parker；' he said softly。 'I wonder who you really are； Jack Parker。 Bast； make sure everything is out of his pockets。'
Bast grinned。
Sunlight Gardener drifted across the room toward an obviously impatient Franky Williams and languidly withdrew a long leather wallet from his jacket's inside pocket。 Jack saw him begin to count money out into the policeman's hands。
'Pay attention； snotface；' said the boy behind the desk； and Jack snapped around to face him。 The boy was playing with a pencil； the smirk on his face an utterly inadequate disguise for what seemed to Jack's keyed…up perceptions his characteristic anger…a rage that bubbled far down within him； eternally stoked。 'Can he write？'
'Jeez； I don't think so；' Jack said。
'Then you'll have to sign in for him。' Singer shoved two legal…sized sheets of paper at him。 'Print on the top line； write on the bottom one。 Where the X's are。' He fell back into his chair； raising the pencil to his lips； and slumped eloquently into its corner。 Jack supposed that was a trick learned from the very Reverend Sunlight Gardener。
JACK PARKER； he printed； and scrawled something like that at the bottom of the sheet。 PHILIP JACK WOLF。 Another scrawl； even less like his real handwriting。
'Now you're wards of the State of Indiana； and that's what you'll be for the next thirty days； unless you decide to stay longer。' Singer twitched the papers back toward himself。 'You'll be…'
'Decide？' Jack asked。 'What do you mean； decide？'
A trifle of red grew smooth beneath Singer's cheeks。 He jerked his head to one side and seemed to smile。 'I guess you don't know that over sixty percent of our kids are here voluntarily。 It's possible； yeah。 You could decide to stay here。'
Jack tried to keep his face expressionless。
Singer's mouth twitched violently； as if a fishhook had snagged it。 'This is a pretty good place； and if I ever hear you ranking it I'll pound the shit out of you…it's the best place you've ever been in； I'm sure。 I'll tell you another thing： you got no choice。 You have to respect the Sunlight Home。 You understand？'
Jack nodded his head。
'How about him？ Does he？'
Jack looked up at Wolf； who was blinking slowly and breathing through his mouth。
'I think so。'
'All right。 The two of you will be bunkmates。 The day starts at five in the morning； when we have chapel。 Fieldwork until seven； then breakfast in the dining hall。 Back to the field until noon； when we get lunch plus Bible readings…everybody gets a crack at this； so you better start thinking about what you'll read。 None of that sexy stuff from the Song of Songs； either； unless you want to find out what discipline means。 More work after lunch。'
He looked sharply up at Jack。 'Hey； don't think that you work for nothing at the Sunlight Home。 Part of our arrangement with the state is that everybody gets a fair hourly wage； which is set against the cost of keeping you here…clothes and food； electricity； heating； stuff like that。 You are credited fifty cents an hour。 That means that you earn five dollars a day for the hours you put in…thirty dollars a week。 Sundays are spent in the Sunlight Chapel； except for the hour when we actually put on the Sunlight Gardener Gospel Hour。'
The red smoothed itself out under the surface of his skin again； and Jack nodded in recognition； being more or less obliged to。
'If you turn out right and if you can talk like a human being； which most people can't； then you might get a shot at OS…Outside Staff。 We've got two squads of OS； one that works the streets； selling hymn sheets and flowers and Reverend Gardener's pamphlets； and the other one on duty at the airport。 Anyhow； we got thirty days to turn you two scumbags around and make you see how dirty and filthy and diseased your crummy lives were before you came here； and this is where we start； right now exactly。'
Singer stood up； his face the color of a blazing autumn leaf； and delicately set the tips of his fingers atop his desk。 'Empty your pockets。 Right now。'
'Right here and now；' Wolf mumbled； as if by rote。
'TURN EM OUT！' Singer shouted。 'I WANT TO SEE IT ALL！'
Bast stepped up beside Wolf。 Reverend Gardener； having seen Franky Williams to his car； drifted expressively into Jack's vicinity。
'Personal possessions tend to tie our boys too much to the past； we've found；' Gardener purred to Jack。 'Destructive。 We find this a very helpful tool。'
'EMPTY YOUR POCKETS！' Singer bawled； now nearly in a straightforward rage。
Jack pulled from his pockets the random detritus of his time on the road。 A red handkerchief Elbert Palamountain's wife had given him when she'd seen him wipe his nose on his sleeve； two matchbooks； the few dollars and scattered change that was all of his money…a total of six dollars and forty…two cents…the key to room 407 of the Alhambra Inn and Gardens。 He closed his fingers over the three objects he intended to keep。 'I guess you want my pack； too；' he said。
'Sure； you sorry little fart；' Singer ranted； 'of course we want your foul backpack； but first we want whatever you're trying to hide。 Get it out…right now。'
Reluctantly Jack took Speedy's guitar…pick； the croaker marble； and the big wheel of the silver dollar from his pocket and put them in the nest of the handkerchief。 'They're just good…luck stuff。'
Singer snatched up the pick。 'Hey； what's this？ I mean； what is it？'
'Fingerpick。'
'Yeah； sure。' Singer turned it over in his fingers； sniffed it。 If he had bitten it； Jack would have slugged him in the face。 'Fingerpick。 You tellin me the truth？'
'A friend of mine gave it to me；' Jack said； and suddenly felt as lonely and adrift as he ever had during these weeks of travelling。 He thought of Snowball outside the shopping mall； who had looked at him with Speedy's eyes； who in some fashion Jack did not understand had actually been Speedy Parker。 Whose name he had just adopted for his own。
'Bet he stole it；' Singer said to no one in particular； and dropped the pick back into the handkerchief beside the coin and the marble。 'Now the knapsack。' When Jack had un…shouldered the backpack； handed it over； Singer pawed through it for some minutes in growing distaste and frustration。 The distaste was caused by the condition of the few clothes Jack had left； the frustration by the reluctance of the pack to yield up any drugs。
Speedy； where are you now？
'He's not holding；' Singer plained。 'You think we should do a skin search？'
Gardener shook his head。 'Let us see what we can learn from Mr。 Wolf。'
Bast shouldered up even closer。 Singer said； 'Well？'
'He doesn't have anything in his pockets；' Jack said。
'I want those pockets EMPTY！ EMPTY！' Singer yelled。 'ON THE TABLE！'
Wolf tucked his chin into his chest and clamped his eyes shut。
'You don't have anything in your pockets； do you？' Jack asked。
Wolf nodded once； very slowly。
'He's holding！ The dummy's holding！' Singer crowed。 'e on； you big dumb idiot； get the stuff out on the table。' He clapped his hands sharply together twice。 'Oh wow； Williams never searched him！ Fairchild never did！ This is incredible…they're going to look like such morons。'
Bast shoved his face up to Wolf's and snarled； 'If you don't empty your pockets onto that table in a hurry； I'm going to tear your face off。'
Jack softly said； 'Do it； Wolf。'
Wolf groaned。 Then he removed his balled right hand from its overall pocket。 He leaned over the desk； brought his hand forward； and opened his fingers。 Three wooden matches and two small water…polished stones； grained and straited and colorful； fell out onto the leather。 When his left hand opened； two more pretty little stones rolled alongside the others。
'Pills！' Singer snatched at them。
'Don't be an idiot； Sonny；' Gardener said。
'You made me look like a jerk；' Singer said in low but vehement tones to Jack as soon as they were on the staircase to the upper floors。 These stairs were covered with a shabby rose…patterned carpet。 Only the principal downstairs rooms of the Sunlight Scripture Home had been decorated； dressed up…the rest of it looked rundown and ill cared for。 'You're gonna be sorry； I promise you that…in this place； nobody makes Sonny Singer into a jackass。 I practically run this place； you two idiots。 Christ！' He pushed his burning narrow face into Jack's。 'That was a great stunt back there； the dummy and his fuckin stones。 It'll be a long time before you get over that one。'
'I didn't know he had anything in his pockets；' Jack said。
A step ahead of Jack and Wolf； Singer abruptly stopped moving。 His eyes narrowed； his entire face seemed to contract。 Jack understood what was going to happen a second before Singer's hand slapped stingingly over the side of his face。
'Jack？' Wolf whispered。
'I'm okay；' he said。
'When you hurt me； I'll hurt you back twice as bad；' Singer said to Jack。 'When you hurt me in front of Reverend Gardener； I'll hurt you four times as bad； you got that？'
'Yeah；' Jack said。 'I think I got it。 Aren't we supposed to get some clothes？'
Singer whirled around and marched upward； and for a second Jack stood still and watched the other boy's thin intense back go up the stairs。 You； too； he said to himself。 You and Osmond。 Someday。 Then he followed； and Wolf trudged after。
In a long room stacked with boxes Singer fidgeted at the door while a tall boy with a passionless bland face and the demeanor of a sleepwalker researched the shelves for their clothes。
'Shoes； too。 You get him into regulation shoes or you're gonna be holding a shovel all day；' Singer said from the doorway； conspicuously not looking at the clerk。 Weary disgust…it would have been another of Sunlight Gardener's lessons。
The boy finally located a size thirteen pair of the heavy square black lace…ups in a corner of the storeroom； and Jack got them on Wolf's feet。 Then Singer took them up another flight to the dormitory floor。 Here there was no attempt to disguise the real nature of the Sunlight Home。 A narrow corridor ran the entire length of the top of the house…it might have been fifty feet long。 Rows of narrow doors with inset eye…level windows marched down either side of the long corridor。 To Jack； the so…called dormitory looked like a prison。
Singer took them a short way up the narrow hall and paused before one of the doors。 'On their first day； nobody works。 You start the full schedule tomorrow。 So get in here for now and look at your Bibles or something until five。 I'll e back and let you out in time for the confession period。 And change into the Sunlight clothes； hey？'
'You mean you're going to lock us in there for the next three hours？' Jack asked。
'You want me to hold your hand？' Singer exploded； his face reddening again。 'Look。 If you were a voluntary； I could let you walk around； get a look at the place。 But since you're a ward of the state on a referral from a local police department； you're one step up from being a convicted criminal。 Maybe in thirty days you'll be voluntaries； if you're lucky。 In the meantime； get in your room and start acting like a human being made in God's image instead of like an animal。' He impatiently fitted a key into the lock； swung the door open； and stood beside it。 'Get in there。 I got work to do。'
'What happens to all our stuff？'
Singer theatrically sighed。 'You little creep； do you think we'd be interested in stealin