itant。
He was so startled he almost fell off the stool whirling it around。 Wendy was
standing just inside the batwing doors； Danny cradled in her arms like some
waxen horror show dummy。 The three of them made a tableau that Jack felt very
strongly； it was just before the curtain of Act II in some oldtime temperance
play； one so poorly mounted that the prop man had forgotten to stock the shelves
of the Den of Iniquity。
〃I never touched him；〃 Jack said thickly。 〃I never have since the night I
broke his arm。 Not even to spank him。〃
〃Jack； that doesn't matter now。 What matters is 〃
〃This matters！〃 he shouted。 He brought one fist crashing down on the bar； hard
enough to make the empty peanut dishes jump。 〃It matters； goddammit； it matters！〃
〃Jack； we have to get him off the mountain。 He's 〃
Danny began to stir in her arms。 The slack； empty expression on his face had
begun to break up like a thick matte of ice over some buried surface。 His lips
twisted； as if at some weird taste。 His eyes widened。 His hands came up as if to
cover them and then dropped back。
Abruptly he stiffened in her arms。 His back arched into a bow； making Wendy
stagger。 And he suddenly began to shriek； mad sounds that escaped his straining
throat in bolt after crazy； echoing bolt。 The sound seemed to fill the empty
downstairs and e back at them like banshees。 There might have been a hundred
Dannys； all screaming at once。
〃Jack！〃 she cried in terror。 〃Oh God Jack what's wrong with him？〃
He came off the stool； numb from the waist down； more frightened than he had
ever been in his life。 What hole had his son poked through and into？ What da