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ho whispered to them to make a golden idol; a golden calf; and to worship it with foulness and fornication。〃
Moans; nods。
〃The Interloper! He stood on the balcony with Jezebel and watched as King Ahaz fell screaming to his death; and he and she grinned as the dogs gathered and lapped up his life's blood。 Oh; my little brothers and sisters; watch thou for The Interloper。〃
〃Yes; O Jesus 〃The man the gunslinger had first noticed ing into town; the one with the straw hat。
〃He's always been there; my brothers and sisters。 But I don't know his mind。 And you don't know his mind。 Who could understand the awful darkness that swirls there; the pride like pylons; the titanic blasphemy; the unholy glee? And the madness! The cyclopean; gibbering madness that walks and crawls and wriggles through men's most awful wants and desires?〃
〃O Jesus Savior 〃
〃It was him who took our Lord up on the mountain 〃〃Yes 〃
〃It was him that tempted him and shewed him all the world and the world's pleasures 〃Yesss 〃
〃It's him that will e back when Last Times e on the world。。; and they are ing; my brothers and sisters; can't you feel they are?〃
〃Yesss 〃
Rocking and sobbing; the congregation became a sea; the woman seemed to point at all of them; none of them。
〃It's him that will e as the Antichrist; to lead men into the flaming bowels of perdition; to the bloody end of wickedness; as Star Wormwood hangs blazing in the sky; as gall gnaws at the vitals of the children; as women's wombs give forth monstrosities; as the works of men's hands turn to blood 〃
〃Ahhh 〃
〃Ah; God 〃
〃Gawwwwwwww 〃
A woman fell on the floor; her legs crashing up and down against the wood。 One of her shoes flew off。
〃It's him that stands behind every fleshly pleasure 。。。 him! The Interloper!〃
〃Yes; Lord!〃
A man fell on his knees; holding his head and braying。
〃When you take a drink; who holds the bottle?〃
〃The Interloper!〃
〃When you sit down to a faro or a Watch Me table; who turns the cards?〃
〃The Interloper!〃
〃When you riot in the flesh of another's body; when you pollute yourself; who are you selling your soul to?〃
〃In 〃
〃The 〃
〃Oh; Jesus 。 。。 Oh 〃
〃 loper
〃Aw。。。Aw。。。Aw。。。 〃
〃And who is he?〃 She screamed (but calm within; he could sense the calmness; the mastery; the control; the domination。 He thought suddenly; with terror and absolute surety: he has left a demon in her。 She is haunted。 He felt the hot ripple of sexual desire again through his fear。)
The man who was holding his head crashed and blundered forward。
〃I'm in hell!〃 He screamed up at her。 His face twisted and writhed as if snakes crawled beneath his skin。 〃I done fornications! I done gambling! I done weed! I done sins! I
〃 But his voice rose skyward in a dreadful; hysterical wail that drowned articulation。 He held his head as if it would burst like an overripe cantaloupe at any moment。
The audience stilled as if a cue had been given; frozen in their half…erotic poses of ecstasy。
Sylvia Pittston reached down and grasped his head。 The man's cry ceased as her fingers; strong and white; unblemished and gentle; worked through his hair。 He looked up at her dumbly。
〃Who was with you in sin?〃 She asked。 Her eyes looked into his; deep enough; gentle enough; cold enough to drown in。
〃The。。 。 the Interloper。〃
〃Called who?〃
〃Called Satan。〃 Raw; oozing whisper。
〃Will you renounce?〃
Eagerly: 〃Yes! Yes! Oh; my Jesus Savior!〃
She rocked his head; he stared at her with the blank; shiny eyes of the zealot。 〃If he walked through that door
〃 she hammered a finger at the vestibule shadows where the gunslinger stood 〃would you renounce him to his face?〃
〃On my mother's name!〃
〃Do you believe in the eternal love of Jesus?〃
He began to weep。 〃Your fucking…A I do 〃
〃He forgives you that; Jonson。〃
〃Praise God;〃 Jonson said; still weeping。
〃I know he forgives you just as I know he will cast out the unrepentant from his palaces and into the place of burning darkness。 〃
〃Praise God。 〃 The congregation drained; spoke it solemnly。
〃Just as I know this Interloper; this Satan; this Lord of Flies and Serpents will be cast down and crushed。 。 。 will you crush him if you see him; Jonson?〃
〃Yes and praise God!〃 Jonson wept。
〃Will you crush him if you see him; brothers and sisters?〃
〃Yess。。。 〃 Sated。
〃If you see him sashaying down Main St tomorrow?〃
〃Praise God。。。 〃
The gunslinger; unsettled; at the same time; faded back out the door and headed for town。 The smell of the desert was clear in the air。 Almost time to move on。 Almost
XIII
In bed again。
〃She won't see you;〃 Allie said。 She sounded frightened。 〃She doesn't see anybody。 She only es out on Sunday evenings to scare the hell out of everybody。〃
〃How long has she been here?〃
〃Twelve years or so。 Let's not talk about her。〃
〃Where did she e from? Which direction?〃
〃I don't know。〃 Lying。
〃Allie?〃
〃I don't know!〃
〃Allie?〃
〃All right! All right! She came from the dwellers! From the desert!〃
〃I thought so。〃 He relaxed a little。 〃Where does she live?〃
Her voice dropped a notch。 〃If I tell you; will you make love to me?〃
〃You know the answer to that。〃
She sighed。 It was an old; yellow sound; like turning pages。 〃She has a house over the knoll in back of the church。 A little shack。 It's where the 。 。 。 the real minister used to live until he moved out。 Is that enough? Are you satisfied?〃
〃No。 Not yet。〃 And he rolled on top of her。
XIV
It was the last day; and he knew it。
The sky was an ugly; bruised purple; weirdly lit from above with the first fingers of dawn。 Allie moved about like a wraith; lighting lamps; tending the corn fritters that spluttered in the skillet。 He had loved her hard after she had told him what he had to know; and she had sensed the ing end and had given more than she had ever given; and she had given it with desperation against the ing of dawn; given it with the tireless energy of sixteen。 But she was pale this morning; on the brink of menopause again。
She served him without a word。 He ate rapidly; chewing; swallowing; chasing each bite with hot coffee。 Allie went to the batwings and stood staring out at the morning; at the silent battalions of slow…moving clouds。
〃It's going to dust up today。 〃
〃I'm not surprised。〃
〃Are you ever?〃 She asked ironically; and turned to watch him get his hat。 He clapped it on his head and brushed past her。
〃Sometimes;〃 he told her。 He only saw her once more alive。
XV
By the time he reached Sylvia Pittston's shack; the wind had died utterly and the whole world seemed to wait。 He had been in desert country long enough to know that the longer the lull; the harder the wind would blow when it finally decided to start up。 A queer; flat light hung over everything。
There was a large wooden cross nailed to the door of the place; which was leaning and tired。 He rapped and waited。 No answer。 He rapped again。 No answer。 He drew back and kicked in the door with one hard shot of his right boot。 A small bolt on the inside ripped free。 The door banged against a haphazardly planked wall and scared rats into skittering flight Sylvia Pittston sat in the hall; sat in a mammoth darkwood rocker; and looked at him calmly with those great and dark eyes。 The stormlight fell on her cheeks in terrifying halftones。 She wore a shawl。 The rocker made tiny squeaking noises。
They looked at each other for a long; clockless moment。
〃You will never catch him;〃 she said。 〃You walk in the way of evil。〃
〃He came to you;〃 the gunslinger said。
〃And to my bed。 He spoke to me in the Tongue。 He 〃
〃He screwed you。 〃
She did not flinch。 〃You walk an evil way; gunslinger。 You stand in shadows。 You stood in the shadows of the holy place last night Did you think I couldn't see you?〃
〃Why did he heal the weedeater?〃
〃He was an angel of God。 He said so。〃
〃I hope he smiled when he said it。〃
She drew her lip back from her teeth in an unconsciously feral gesture。 〃He told me you would follow。 He told me what to do。 He said you are the Antichrist〃
The gunslinger shook his head。 〃He didn't say that。〃
She smiled up at him lazily。 〃He said you would want to bed me。 Do you?〃
〃Yes。〃
〃The price is your life; gunslinger。 He has got me with child。。。 the child of an angel。 If you invade me 〃 She let the lazy smile plete her thought At the same time she gestured with her huge; mountainous thighs。 They stretched beneath her garment like pure marble slabs。 The effect was dizzying。
The gunslinger dropped his hands to the butts of his pistols。 〃You have a demon; woman。 I can remove it〃
The effect was instantaneous。 She recoiled against the chair; and a weasel look flashed on her face。 〃Don't touch me! Don't e near me! You dare not touch the Bride of God!〃
〃Want to bet?〃 the gunslinger said; grinning。 He stepped toward her。
The flesh on the huge frame quaked。 Her face had bee a caricature of crazed terror; and she stabbed the sign of the Eye at him with pronged fingers。
〃The desert;〃 the gunslinger said。 〃What after the desert?〃
〃You'll never catch him! Never! Never! You'll burn! He told me so!〃
〃I'll catch him;〃 the gunslinger said。 〃We both know it。 What is beyond the desert?〃
〃No!〃
〃Answer me!〃
〃No!〃
He slid forward; dropped to his knees; and grabbed her thighs。 Her legs locked like a vise。 She made strange; lustful keening noises。
〃The demon; then;〃 he said。
〃No 〃
He pried the legs apart and upholstered one of his guns。
〃No! No! No!〃 Her breath came in short; savage grunts。
〃Answer me。 〃
She rocked in the chair and the floor trembled。 Prayers and garbled bits of jargon flew from her lips。
He rammed the barrel of the gun forward。 He could feel the terrified wind sucked into her lungs more than he could hear it Her hands beat at his head; her legs drummed against the floor。 And at the same time the huge body tried to take the invader and enwomb it。 Outside nothing watched them but the bruised sky。
She screamed something; high and inarticulate。
〃What?〃
〃Mountains!〃
〃What about them?〃
〃He stops。。。 on the other side。。。 sssweet Jesus!。。。 to inmake his strength。 Medinmeditation; do you understand? Oh 。 。。 I'm 。 。。 I'm 。 。 。 〃
The whole huge mountain of flesh suddenly strained forward and upward; yet he was careful not to let her secret flesh touch him。
Then she seemed to wilt and grow smaller; and she wept with her hands in her lap。
〃So;〃 he said; getting up。 〃The demon is served; eh?〃
〃Get out。 You've killed the child。 Get out Get out。〃
He stopped at the door and looked back。 〃No child;〃 he said briefly。 〃No angel; no demon。〃
〃Leave me alone。〃
He did。
XVI
By the time he arrived at Kennerly's; a queer obscurity had e over the northern horizon and he knew it was dust。 Over Tull the air was still dead quiet。
Kennerly was waiting for him on the chaffstrewn stage that was the floor of his barn。 〃Leaving?〃 He grinned abjectly at the gunslinger。
〃Yes。〃
〃Not before the storm?〃
〃Ahead of it〃
〃The wind goes faster than a man on a mule。 In the open it can kill you。〃
〃I'll want the mule now;〃 the gunslinger said simply。
〃Sure。〃 But Kennerly did not turn away; merely stood as if searching for something further to say; grinning his groveling; hatefilled grin; and his eyes flicked up and over the gunslinger's shoulder。
The gunslinger sidestepped and turned at the same time; and the heavy stick of stovewood that the girl Soobie held swished through the air; grazing his elbow only。 She lost hold of it with the force of her swing and it clattered over the floor。 In the explosive height of the loft; barn swallows took shadowed wing。
The girl looked at him bovinely。 Her breasts thrust with overripe grandeur at the washfaded shirt she wore。 One thumb sought the haven of her mouth with dreamlike slowness。
The gunslinger turned back to Kennerly。 Kennerly's grin was huge。 His skin was waxy yellow。 His eyes rolled in their sockets。 〃I 〃 he began in a phlegmfilled whisper and could not continue。
〃The mule;〃 the gunslinger prodded gently。
〃Sure; sure; sure;〃 Kennerly whispered; the grin now touched with incredulity。 He shuffled after it。
He moved to where he could watch Kennerly; The hostler brought the mule back and handed him the bridle。
〃You get in an tend your sister;〃 he said to Soobie。
Soobie tossed her head and didn't move。
The gunslinger left them there; staring at e