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of the ether. Why do you people keep trying to take me away?
What do you mean, keep trying? Nichols frowned.
It occurred to Jake that perhaps these two really knew nothing about the
incident back on the highway the other side of Phoenix. Why should they? It s
a big anthill, and it s not necessary for the ants on one side to know what
the ants on the other are doing, even if they re working toward the same end.
He stared at the gun. It didn t look like a toy. It frightened him.
Take it easy. Degrasse put a restraining hand on his partner s arm. Don t
get him excited. We don t want him to go and have an attack on us. He turned,
tried to present a benign air to the trembling old man on the bed. In the dim
light he was pale as a ghost.
He don t look well at that, agreed Nichols. Look, why don t I just crack
him on the back of the head, real easy, and we ll haul him out of here.
I dunno, said Degrasse. If it upsets him....
Shit, I m getting tired of worrying about what s going to happen to him,
Nichols grumbled. We ve been in here too long already. He nodded toward the
front door. They re going to be getting impatient out there.
Alright, alright, said the frustrated Degrasse. Go ahead, but don t hit
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him any harder than you have to.
Nichols started toward the head of the bed, grinning slightly. I ve never
hit anyone harder than necessary, Phil. You know that.
Stay away from me, Jake whined. You stay away from me.
Take it easy, old man. Nichols tried to sound comforting. This ll just
take a second. Then you can sleep.
The gun was coming closer. It ballooned until it filled the whole room. Jake
couldn t see anything else. It was dark and black and the shiny gaping maw was
pointed right at his chest.
There were two or three thumping sounds like rats jumping clear of the bed.
Nichols froze, his gaze on the floor. The pistol s cylinder had rolled under
the bed. The barrel lay near his shoes, the trigger off to the right, the
hammer by the end-table. The protective plastic grips had split away from the
handle and lay on the floor like the two halves of a shucked oyster. There was
no sign of the bullets. The .38 had come apart in his fist, like a child s
jigsaw puzzle suddenly kicked to pieces.
God, the big man whispered. He swallowed hard. His expression, which only a
second earlier had been one of complete confidence, had metamorphosed into
something quite different. Slowly he began backing away from the bed. Jake
stared at him, wondering at the abrupt change in his assailant. He hadn t done
anything hardly at all. Just made the gun slipt a little.
Degrasse was staring at the sections of gun-puzzle lying on the carpet. Just
like the rag, he murmured huskily. The gun came apart just like the rag.
Nichols had retreated until he was standing next to him. Your gun. Use your
gun on him, Phil.
Like hell.
What are we gonna do?
I duuno about you, said Degrasse, edging behind the bigger man, but they
didn t say nothing about anything like this. This wasn t part of the deal. I
don t give a shit what Drew says.
They ll be angry. Nichols voice was soft. His gaze never strayed from the
suddenly spectral figure sitting up in the darkness on the bed.
They can go screw themselves, Degrasse whispered. He was fumbling with the
chain latch that secured the front door. I m telling you, this wasn t in the
deal. When something comes up that s not part of the deal you have to get new
instructions, right?
Yeah. Yeah, that s right. Nichols was crowding his companion. Hurry up.
I just want to be left alone, Jake said plaintively. He started to get off
the bed. A low moan issued from Nichols throat. He clawed at the door, nearly
pulling it off its hinges in his haste to escape once Degrasse had the chain
unhooked. Both men half fell, half sprinted out the open door. Jake found
himself staring at the naked Arizona night.
XI
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Slowly his fright and concern gave way to confusion and then more prosaic
concerns. He knew that he had to get out of the room, out of the motel, and do
it fast. He remembered the frightened big man muttering something about others
waiting.
He fumbled quickly through his suitcase, taking only his razor and toothbrush
and pills. Then he grabbed his wallet from the end table and debated which way
to go.
Dimly he remembered the dark shadows emerging from the vicinity of the
bathroom. He closed the front door and locked it, then made his way to the
John. Warm air drifted in through the open window. At least, he thought wryly,
he d been practicing for this. Using the John as a stepstool he quickly
boosted himself up and out the back of the building.
He stood there wheezing and trying to catch his breath. A glance to right and
then left revealed only a moonlit vacant lot full of high weeds and old corn.
Making up his mind quickly, he started jogging along the back wall of the
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