ght；
remember the time you broke Danny's arm？' 〃
〃Jack！〃
〃Jack what？〃 he asked hotly； and jumped to his feet。 〃Are you denying that's
what you're thinking？ That I hurt him？ That I hurt him once before and I could
hurt him again？〃
〃I want to know where he is； that's all！〃
〃Go ahead； yell your fucking head off； that'll make everything okay； won't it？ 〃
She turned and walked out the door。
He watched her go； frozen for a moment； a blotter covered with fragments of
broken glass in one hand。 Then he dropped it into the wastebasket； went after
her； and caught her by the lobby desk。 He put his hands on her shoulders and
turned her around。 Her face was carefully set。
〃Wendy； I'm sorry。 It was the dream。 I'm upset。 Forgive？〃
〃Of course；〃 she said； her face not changing expression。 Her wooden shoulders
slipped out of his hands。 She walked to the middle of the lobby and called：
〃Hey； doc！ Where are you？〃
Silence came back。 She walked toward the double lobby doors； opened one of
them； and stepped out onto the path Jack had shoveled。 It was more like a
trench； the packed and drifted snow through which the path was cut came to her
shoulders。 She called him again； her breath ing out in a white plume。 When
she came back in she had begun to look scared。
Controlling his irritation with her； he said reasonably： 〃Are you sure he's
not sleeping in his room？〃
〃I told you； he was playing somewhere when I was knitting。 I could hear him
downstairs。〃
〃Did you fall asleep？〃
〃What's that got to do with it？ Yes。 Danny？〃
〃Did you look in his room when you came downstairs just now？〃
〃I — 〃She stopped。