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was saying badfeelbadfeelbad； a whispering mantra； badfeelbadfeelbad as if that were its life's ambition。
And she looked bad； too； no question about it； her skin gray and pallid in the wan kitchen light。 The stink didn't help a bit。 It made her acutely queasy。 Of course； nausea at a moment's notice had been a linchpin of the Taylor Family Pregnancy ever since 。。。
Gwen felt the bile…rush sneak up on her like a runaway Peterbilt； and she puked all over the kitchen floor。
〃AHurp！〃 she belched； then staggered toward the kitchen sink。 She'd almost made it when the next wave hit； and she doubled up and puked again； in a wider arc that missed the sink and splattered the cabinet itself 。。。
。。。 and there were a lot of chemicals in there； household powders and liquids and sprays； but she had never looked at them in quite this way before 。。。
。。。 as suddenly there was a voice in her head that wondered what； say。 Liquid Drano might taste like： just a drop； not enough to hurt you； just enough to find out what it's like 。。。
。。。 and it wasn't like a pulsion or anything； not like a pregnant craving； it was more just an intellectual curiosity that made her grab the Liquid Drano； shake off the globs of vomit； carefully untwist the cap 。。。
〃GWEN！〃 Micki screamed； and knocked the bottle from her hands； making her cry for no good reason。 Even though Micki could see that she was sick； that she just wanted to curl up on the floor with her big hard tense swollen belly that couldn't feel anything； inside or out。
Just curl up。
And wait for Gary to e home 。。。
Deitz rammed the truck across the wreckage of the Amoco Shop 'N' Go at three twenty…five； big wheels chewing through dead and detritus alike before screeching to a halt less than five feet from the front doors。 The mounted heads upon it wailed： forced to bear witness； driven far beyond madness by the world they had helped to create。
The headlights' glare pierced the shadows as Deitz stepped out of the truck； staring in terror at the gaping space where the big plate…glass windows had been。
（late too late too late too）
Broken glass carpeted the interior in a billion glittering crystal shards； glistening before him as he crunched through the ruined front door。 One of the service island trash cans lay in the nibble like an enormous bullet。 Living rain oozed and slithered before him like vermin； retreating from his path。 The pumps were down。 The store was savaged。
And Jennie Quirez was nowhere to be found。
（late too late too late）
Deitz stood there； lost； in the middle of the aisles； feeling the last of his dead heart clench with the inescapable weight of his loss。 He felt it snap and rend asunder。 Lost to him now。 Like her。 Forever。
And it came from him； then： a primal moan that originated at the core of his soul。
〃Hhnnnnnuhhhhh 。。。 〃
It fed on his pain； amplified itself in the cramped confines of his skull。 〃HhnhMuutiMwnnuMihhhhh 。。。 〃
Deitz had no mouth。 His face was gone。 It had liquefied and recongealed； taking on the shape of the chemical suit's hood like gelatin in a mold。 But the sound was building； being a cry； a mounting burning keening howling razor…ribboned wail that sliced its way to the thick； insensate flesh his bulky suit had bee。
〃J…JhejhennnAAAAHHHHHHHHH 。。。 〃
A fissure developed in the lower part of the faceplate： a fold now a crack now a split…wide rift； a ragged jack…o' …lantern mouth that stretched from ear to ear。 Oily juices spilled from the crevice； bubbling in the breach。
〃J…JEHNNNNNNNNNHHHH！！！！！！ JJEHHHHNNAANNNNAAAAHH！！！！！ JEHHHHNNNEANNNNNNEEHHHHH…NNNNNAEEEHHHH！！！！〃
And that was when he heard the sound： a tiny； mewling sound； very nearly lost against the background throes of the dying world。
It was ing from behind the EMPLOYEES ONLY door。
Deitz crossed the ruined expanse of the store； crashing through emptied display racks and discarded； useless； toxic goods。 The freezers hummed。 The mad buck screamed。 Condensation writhed beneath his touch as he put his hand on the heavy door and pushed。
The door slid back。 The still…burning headlights of the truck sliced through the shadows。 The walls； the floors； the ceiling dripped with sentient damp。
And Jenny was there。
She was hunkered down behind a stack of waterlogged； bloated cereal boxes in the farthest corner of the tiny room。 Her face was hidden； her head down on her knees； her hands protectively cradling her skull。
〃Jehnn 。。。 〃 he moaned。
He recognized her by her thick mahogany hair； most of which lay in piles around her haunches。 A few stray tresses still clung tenuously to her scalp； which was chalky； pale and colorless as her hands； her arms； her neck。 He could clearly see the veins in her scalp； pulsing arrhythmically under the stippled papyrus surface of her skin。
She patted the crown of her head gingerly； one of the few remaining hanks dislodged and floated to the floor； where the movement of air sent it wafting like a dust devil。 She clutched at it blindly； missed； sobbed again。
〃Jehnnn 。。。 〃 Deitz murmured thickly。 〃Jehnneeee 。。。 〃
She looked up； head tilting this way and that； trying to fix the sound。 It was only then that he understood。
Her eyes…those warm and bottomless brown eyes that could light up a room with love…were gone。 They had de…evolved； along with the rest of her beautiful； broad yet delicate features。 No luscious lips。 No regal nose。 No gently sloping brow。 No more。 She was worn away and rounded down： a crude； half…finished sculpture of herself； rendered in mutely glistening mold。
He moved toward her。 She started to mewl。
〃Pleeeease 。。。 〃 she whispered。
〃Shhhh 。。。 〃 he murmured tenderly。 〃Ss…shhhh 。。。 〃
He reached down to help her up。 She cried out upon contact with his thick； rubber…coated fingers。 He bent； grasped her gently around the torso； then slowly began to rise 。。。
。。。 and that was when he heard the snap； a sound so faint he might not have caught it at all had he not gone suddenly off…balance； holding her upper torso as if he'd lifted a pillow instead of a living woman 。。。
。。。 and she made one final sound： a dry weak mewling cry not so much of fear as resignation。 Deitz looked down； beyond surprise； and saw the other half of her： still on the floor； surrounded by all that wonderful hair。 He saw the chalky striations of the break…point； the tender gray mushroom meat of her waist and hips； the rings upon rings upon rings that filled her。
Jennie clutched at him with fingers fragile； her parting sound rustling like dry leaves in his ears。
〃Shh…shhhhhh 。。。 〃 Deitz cooed； enfolding her in his embrace。
Little bits of Jennie snapped and tumbled to the floor： fingers and hands and arms and torso crumbling and tumbling； crumbling and tumbling； in a softsoft pattering cascade。 Deitz rocked and cooed and held her close。 She slipped through his grasp like a fistful of sand； crumbled to nothing in his arms。
Then…only then…did he pick up the pieces。 Bring them tenderly up to his broken lips。
And wele her into himself。
Fifty…Three
After the deluge； the New World rested。
The extent of the slaughter was unfathomable； immeasurable。 Not even Overmind was up to the task。 Its vision was too fractured and fragmentary now； forced to observe itself from far too many disparate points of view。 Over nine hundred square miles； from the Appalachian foothills to the Susquehanna River； were laid to waste in those few short minutes。 So many tiny lives subsumed。 So small yet substantial a toehold gained。
The effort had been exhausting； leaving even the Overcore tapped and drained。 The malaise was contagious； shared in mon by all Its creatures； great and small。 Dragging them inexorably toward an agonizing； fitful； rejuvenating slumber。
Leaving behind only the slow…metabolizing Plant Spawn； the witless rumbling Machine Spawn； and the handful of mad raw Savage Spawn that were not afterborn with the capacity for sleep。
While the last survivors of the old world calculated the odds。
And found them sadly wanting。
After the deluge； the New World rested。 It had； for the moment； no other choice。 Soon…very soon…It would inherit the earth。
In the meantime； It slept。
There would be no second chance。
Fifty…Four
The rain was petering out now。
〃Yes；〃 Gary murmured。 〃Please； God。〃 It was all he waited for。
Gary had cursed himself a thousand times in the last few minutes。 While he waited in ambush； the world had e to an end； or pretty goddam near。 Now they were trapped； all of them； and there wasn't a thing he could do about it。
Not that there was anything left to do here。
WPAL had signed off。 For keeps。
One look at the mad sky above was ail it took； sure as shit； the soot from the explosion had knocked out the microwave path from 'PAL to its transmitter tower。 Worse still； nothing else seemed to work； either。 The lights were flickering； the phones were garbled； even the AT&T long lines kept as emergency backup didn't seem like they'd be reaching out to touch someone anytime soon。
Half the monitors in Studio A broadcast only static and snow； the other half picked up intermittent shadowy ghosts； like transmissions from a distant world。 On another planet； the Eagles still battled the Rams。
Gary was relieved。 It meant that this was a localized phenomenon。 For the moment； anyway。
Good for them； he thought。 Bad for us。
There was only one thing he knew for certain： the second the rain stopped； he was out the door and heading for home； scooping up Gwen and then getting the fuck out of Dodge。 It was simple as that。
He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been： to spend all goddam day here； being manipulated by these people； only to waste even more time on beating up a worthless little asshole like Kirk。 He felt guilty； and ashamed。 The explosion had rendered a lot of things academic in its wake； his rage first and foremost。 He felt like a fool。
He'd have been gone fifteen minutes ago； were it not for the black rain。
And poor John's bad example。
After the explosion； John Bizzano had decided he couldn't wait out the storm。 He'd made a run for it； shrouding himself in one of the thick waterproof tarps they used for outdoor shots。 Gary knew it was a bad idea； but John was stubborn； and for all his smarts； he'd always struck Gary as somewhat bereft in the mon sense department。
He was out the door； heading for his car； before Gary could so much as say boo。
John hadn't make it ten yards before the rain brought him down。 It was impossible to see much of anything through that thick black curtain of precipitation； but Gary could have sworn it just ate his legs out from under him。 They could hear him screaming； but that died off； and before long； there was nothing but a big dead silent lump； unmoving beneath the slowly melting tarp。
As the rain tapered of； it got easier to see。 The lump was dissolving； and the stink was incredible as the pocked； steaming tarp got flatter and flatter。 What was left of John sluiced down to the gutter in thick viscid runnels； like molten tallow； like boiling fat； like 。。。
〃Umm 。。。 Gary？〃 came Laura's voice from behind him。 He clenched his teeth； got ready for it； turned。
〃Now what？〃 he said。
〃We hab'doo ged back on line；〃 Kirk said； sucking spit back through swollen lips。 His face was bloody； beaten so badly that his speech was slurred。 Gary didn't want to look at him； to face the fact that his hands had done that。 He looked down at his scraped knuckles； guilty as sin。
Worse still was how Kirk had taken it。 Gary'd expected him to fold up like a cheap card table； to whine and cry and piss himself。 But he didn't。 In fact； he came back from the beating stronger； somehow。 As if it had beaten the bullshit right out of him。
〃You know we do；〃 Kirk urged； following Gary's every move with his one good eye。 Gary watched John run down the gutters and away。 〃People need do know whad's going on。〃 He sucked spit again； and wiped a bloody streamer from his chin。
Laura stood at his side； supporting him； since Kirk had regained consciousness； they'd b