t on Lloyd's
forehead like sweat and somewhere a silver chime was striking the quarter…hour。
（Unmask； unmask！）
〃Drink your drink； Mr。 Torrance；〃 Lloyd said softly。 〃It isn't a matter that
concerns you。 Not at this point。〃
He picked his drink up again； raised it to his lips； and hesitated。 He heard
the hard； horrible snap as Danny's arm broke。 He saw the bicycle flying brokenly
up over the hood of Al's car； starring the windshield。 He saw a single wheel
lying in the road； twisted spokes pointing into the sky like jags of piano wire。
He became aware that all conversation had stopped。
He looked back over his shoulder。 They were all looking at him expectantly；
silently。 The man beside the woman in the sarong had removed his foxhead and
Jack saw that it was Horace Derwent； his pallid blond hair spilling across his
forehead。 Everyone at the bar was watching； too。 The woman beside him was
looking at him closely； as if trying to focus。 Her dress had slipped off one
shoulder and looking down he could see a loosely puckered nipple capping one
sagging breast。 Looking back at her face he began to think that this might be
the woman from 217； the one who had tried to strangle Danny。 On his other hand；
the man in the sharp blue suit had removed a small pearl…handled 。32 from his
jacket pocket and was idly spinning it on the bar； like a man with Russian
roulette on his mind。
（I want — ）
He realized the words were not passing through his frozen vocal cords and
tried again。
〃I want to see the manager。 I 。。。 I don't think he understands。 My son is
not a part of this。 He 。。。 〃
〃Mr。 Torrance；〃 Lloyd said； his vo