church with bars on the windows； a church for women and a prison for you。〃
He stopped。 Lloyd was gone。 Worse still； he had never been there。 The drinks
had never been there。 Only the people in the booths； the people from the costume
party； and he could almost hear their muffled laughter as they held their hands
to their mouths and pointed； their eyes sparkling with cruel pinpoints of light。
He whirled around again。 〃Leave me — 〃
（alone？）
All the booths were empty。 The sound of laughter had died like a stir of
autumn leaves。 Jack stared at the empty lounge for a tick of time； his eyes wide
and dark。 A pulse beat noticeably in the center of his forehead。 In the very
center of him a cold certainty was forming and the certainty was that he was
losing his mind。 He felt an urge to pick up the bar stool next to him； reverse
it； and go through the place like an avenging whirlwind。 Instead he whirled back
around to the bar and began to bellow：
〃Roll me over
In the clo…ho…ver；
Roll me over； lay me down and do it again。〃
Danny's face rose before him； not Danny's normal face； lively and alert； the
eyes sparkling and open； but the catatonic； zombielike face of a stranger； the
eyes dull and opaque； the mouth pursed babyishly around his thumb。 What was he
doing； sitting here and talking to himself like a sulky teen…ager when his son
was upstairs； someplace； acting like something that belonged in a padded room；
acting the way Wally Hollis said Vic Stenger had been before the men in the
white coats had to e and take him away？
（But I never put a hand on him！ Goddammit； I didn't！）
〃Jack？〃 The voice was timid； hes