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'Wait a minute；' Jack said。 'You remember me telling you about the building that collapsed in Angola； New York？'
'The Rainbird Towers。'
'What a memory。 I think that accident was my fault。'
'Jack； you're…'
Jack said： 'Crazy； I know。 Look； would anyone blow the whistle on me if we went out and watched the evening news？'
'I doubt it。 Most kids are studying now； anyway。 Why？'
Because I want to know what's been happening around here；
Jack thought but did not say。 Sweet little fires； nifty little earthquakes…signs that they're ing through。 For me。 For us。
'I need a change of scenery； Richard old chum；' Jack said； and followed Richard down the watery green corridor。
CHAPTER 31
Thayer Goes to Hell
1
Jack became aware of the change first and recognized what had happened； it had happened before； while Richard was out； and he was sensitized to it。
The screaming heavy metal of Blue Oyster Cult's 'Tattoo Vampire' was gone。 The TV in the mon room； which had been cackling out an episode of Hogan's Heroes instead of the news； had fallen dormant。
Richard turned toward Jack； opening his mouth to speak。
'I don't like it； Gridley；' Jack said first。 'The native tom…toms have stopped。 It's too quiet。'
'Ha…ha；' Richard said thinly。
'Richard； can I ask you something？'
'Yes； of course。'
'Are you scared？'
Richard's face said that he wanted more than anything to say No； of course not…it always gets quiet around Nelson House this time of the evening。 Unfortunately； Richard was utterly incapable of telling a lie。 Dear old Richard。 Jack felt a wave of affection。
'Yes；' Richard said。 'I'm a little scared。'
'Can I ask you something else？'
'I guess so。'
'Why are we both whispering？'
Richard looked at him for a long time without saying anything。 Then he started down the green corridor again。
The doors of the other rooms on the other corridor were either open or ajar。 Jack smelled a very familiar odor wafting through the half…open door of Suite 4； and pushed the door all the way open with tented fingers。
'Which one of them is the pothead？' Jack asked。
'What？' Richard replied uncertainly。
Jack sniffed loudly。 'Smell it？'
Richard came back and looked into the room。 Both study lamps were on。 There was an open history text on one desk； an issue of Heavy Metal on the other。 Posters decorated the walls： the Costa del Sol； Frodo and Sam trudging across the cracked and smoking plains of Mordor toward Sauron's castle； Eddie Van Halen。 Earphones lay on the open issue of Heavy Metal； giving out little tinny squeaks of music。
'If you can get expelled for letting a friend sleep under your bed； I doubt if they just slap your wrist for smoking pot； do they？' Jack said。
'They expel you for it； of course。' Richard was looking at the joint as if mesmerized； and Jack thought he looked more shocked and bewildered than he had at any other time； even when Jack had shown him the healing burns between his fingers。
'Nelson House is empty；' Jack said。
'Don't be ridiculous！' Richard's voice was sharp。
'It is； though。' Jack gestured down the hall。 'We're the only ones left。 And you don't get thirty…some boys out of a dorm without a sound。 They didn't just leave； they disappeared。'
'Over into the Territories； I suppose。'
'I don't know；' Jack said。 'Maybe they're still here； but on a slightly different level。 Maybe they're there。 Maybe they're in Cleveland。 But they're not where we are。'
'Close that door；' Richard said abruptly； and when Jack didn't move quickly enough to suit him； Richard closed it himself。
'Do you want to put out the…'
'I don't even want to touch it；' Richard said。 'I ought to report them； you know。 I ought to report them both to Mr。 Haywood。'
'Would you do that？' Jack asked； fascinated。
Richard looked chagrined。 'No 。 。 。 probably not；' he said。 'But I don't like it。'
'Not orderly；' Jack said。
'Yeah。' Richard's eyes flashed at him from behind his spectacles； telling him that was exactly right； he had hit the nail on the head； and if Jack didn't like it； he could lump it。 He started down the hall again。 'I want to know what's going on around here；' he said； 'and believe me； I'm going to find out。'
That might be a lot more hazardous to your health than marijuana； Richie…boy； Jack thought； and followed his friend。
2
They stood in the lounge； looking out。 Richard pointed toward the quad。 In the last of the dying light； Jack saw a bunch of boys grouped loosely around the greenish…bronze statue of Elder Thayer。
'They're smoking！' Richard cried angrily。 'Right on the quad； they're smoking！'
Jack thought immediately of the pot…smell in Richard's hall。
'They're smoking； all right；' he said to Richard； 'and not the kind of cigarettes you get out of a cigarette machine； either。'
Richard rapped his knuckles angrily on the glass。 For him； Jack saw； the weirdly deserted dorm was forgotten； the leather…jacketed； chain…smoking substitute coach was forgotten； Jack's apparent mental aberration was forgotten。 That look of outraged propriety on Richard's face said When a bunch of boys stand around like that； smoking joints within touching distance of the statue of the founder of this school； it's as if someone were trying to tell me that the earth is flat； or that prime numbers may sometimes be divisible by two； or something equally ridiculous。
Jack's heart was full of pity for his friend； but it was also full of admiration for an attitude which must seem so reactionary and even eccentric to his school…mates。 He wondered again if Richard could stand the shocks which might be on the way。
'Richard；' he said； 'those boys aren't from Thayer； are they？'
'God； you really have gone crazy； Jack。 They're Uppers。 I recognize every last one of them。 The guy wearing that stupid leather flying hat is Norrington。 The one in the green sweat…pants is Buckley。 I see Garson 。 。 。 Littlefield 。 。 。 the one with the scarf is Etheridge；' he finished。
'Are you sure it's Etheridge？'
'Of course it's him！' Richard shouted。 He suddenly turned the catch on the window； rammed it up； and leaned out into the cold air。
Jack pulled Richard back。 'Richard； please； just listen…'
Richard didn't want to。 He turned and leaned out into the cold twilight。
'Hey！'
No； don't attract their attention； Richard； for Christ's sake…
'Hey； you guys！ Etheridge！ Norrington！ Littlefield！ What in the hell is going on out there？'
The talk and rough laughter broke off。 The fellow who was wearing Etheridge's scarf turned toward the sound of Richard's voice。 He tilted his head slightly to look up at them。 The lights from the library and the sullen furnace afterglow of the winter sunset fell on his face。 Richard's hands flew to his mouth。
The right half of the face disclosed was actually a bit like Etheridge's…an older Etheridge； an Etheridge who had been in a lot of places nice prep…school boys didn't go and who had done a lot of things nice prep…school boys didn't do。 The other half was a twisted mass of scars。 A glittery crescent that might have been an eye peered from a crater in the lumpy mess of flesh below the forehead。 It looked like a marble that had been shoved deeply into a puddle of half…melted tallow。 A single long fang hooked out of the left corner of the mouth。
It's his Twinner； Jack thought with utter calm certainty。 That's Etheridge's Twinner down there。 Are they all Twinners？ A Littlefield Twinner and a Norrington Twinner and a Buckley Twinner and so on and so on？ That can't be； can it？
'Sloat！' the Etheridge…thing cried。 It shambled two steps toward Nelson House。 The glow from the streetlights on the drive now fell directly onto its ruined face。
'Shut the window；' Richard whispered。 'Shut the window。 I was wrong。 It sort of looks like Etheridge but it's not； maybe it's his older brother； maybe someone threw battery acid or something in Etheridge's brother's face and now he's crazy； but it's not Etheridge so close the window Jack close it right n…'
Below； the Etheridge…thing shambled yet another step toward them。 It grinned。 Its tongue； hideously long； fell out of its mouth like an unrolling party favor。
'Sloat！' it cried。 'Give us your passenger！'
Jack and Richard both jerked around； looking at each other with strained faces。
A howl shivered in the night 。 。 。 for it was night now； twilight was done。
Richard looked at Jack； and for a moment Jack saw something like real hate in the other boy's eyes…a flash of his father。 Why did you have to e here； Jack？ Huh？ Why did you have to bring me this mess？ Why did you have to bring me all this goddam Seabrook Island stuff？
'Do you want me to go？' Jack asked softly。
For a moment that look of harried anger remained in Richard's eyes； and then it was replaced by Richard's old kindness。
'No；' he said； running distracted hands through his hair。 'No； you're not going anywhere。 There are 。 。 。 there are wild dogs out there。 Wild dogs； Jack； on the Thayer campus！ I mean 。 。 。 did you see them？'
'Yeah； I saw em； Richie…boy；' Jack said softly； as Richard ran his hands through his formerly neat hair again； mussing it into ever wilder tangles。 Jack's neat and orderly friend was starting to look a little bit like Donald Duck's amiably mad inventor cousin； Gyro Gearloose。
'Call Boynton； he's Security； that's what I have to do；' Richard said。 'Call Boynton； or the town police； or…'
A howl rose from the trees on the far side of the quad； from the gathered shadows there…a rising； wavering howl that was really almost human。 Richard looked toward it； mouth trembling in an infirm old person's way； and then he looked pleadingly at Jack。
'Close the window； Jack； okay？ I feel feverish。 I think maybe I've gotten a chill。'
'You bet； Richard；' Jack said； and closed it； shutting the howl out as best he could。
CHAPTER 32
'Send Out Your Passenger！'
1
'Help me with this； Richard；' Jack grunted。
'I don't want to move the bureau； Jack；' Richard said in a childish； lecturing voice。 Those dark circles under his eyes were even more pronounced now than they had been in the lounge。 'That's not where it belongs。'
Out on the quad； that howl rose in the air again。
The bed was in front of the door。 Richard's room was now pulled entirely out of shape。 Richard stood looking around at this； blinking。 Then he went to his bed and pulled off the blankets。 He handed one to Jack without speaking； then took his and spread it on the floor。 He took his change and his billfold out of his pockets； and put them neatly on the bureau。 Then he lay down in the middle of his blanket； folded the sides over himself and then just lay there on the floor； his glasses still on； his face a picture of silent misery。
The silence outside was thick and dreamlike； broken only by the distant growls of the big rigs on the turnpike。 Nelson House itself was eerily silent。
'I don't want to talk about what's outside；' Richard said。 'I just want that up front。'
'Okay； Richard；' Jack said soothingly。 'We won't talk about it。'
'Good night； Jack。'
'Good night； Richard。'
Richard gave him a smile that was wan； and terribly tired； yet there was enough sweet friendliness in it to both warm Jack's heart and wrench it。 'I'm still glad you came；' Richard said； 'and we'll talk about all of this in the morning。 I'm sure it will make more sense then。 This little fever I have will be gone then。'
Richard rolled over on his right side and closed his eyes。 Five minutes later； in spite of the hard floor； he was deeply asleep。
Jack sat up for a long time； looking out into the darkness。 Sometimes he could see the lights of passing cars on Spring…field Avenue； at other times both the headlights and the street…lamps themselves seemed to be gone； as if the entire Thayer School kept sideslipping out of reality and hanging in limbo for a while before slipping back in again。
A wind was rising。 Jack could hear it rattling the last frozen leaves from the trees on the quad； could hear it knocking the b