It took a moment for Carter to get it. 'She was just having a bunch of dope-ass hallucinations, wasn't she?'

'Poor woman,' Big Jim agreed. 'Go down to the fallout shelter, son. There.' He cocked his thumb at a door—unobtrusive except for an old metal plaque showing black triangles against a yellow field—not far from the woodstove. 'There are two rooms. At the end of the second one there's a small generator.'

'Okay…'

'In front of the gennie there's a trapdoor. Hard to see, but you will if you look. Lift it and look inside. There should be eight or ten little canisters of LP snuggled down in there. At least there were the last time I looked. Check and tell me how many'

He waited to see if Carter would ask why, but Carter didn't. He just turned to do as he was told. So Big Jim told him.

'Only a precaution, son. Dot every i and cross every t, that's the secret of success. And having God on your side, of course.'

When Carter was gone, Big Jim pushed the hold button… and if Stewart wasn't still there, his butt was going to be in a high sling.

Stewart was. 'Jim, I'm so sorry for your loss,' he said. Right up front (with it, a point in his favor.'We'll take care of everything. I'm thinking the Eternal Rest casket—it's oak, good for a thousand years.'

Go on and pull the other one, Big Jim thought, but kept silent.

'And it'll be our best work. He'll look ready to wake up and smile.'

'Thank you, pal,' Big Jim said. Thinking, He damn well better.

'Now about this raid tomorrow,' Stewart said.

'I was going to call you about that. You're wondering if it's still on. It is.'

'But with everything that's happened—'

'Nothing's happened,' Big Jim said. 'For which we can thank God's! mercy. Can I get an amen on that, Stewart?'

'Amen,' Stewart said dutifully.

'Just a clustermug caused by a mentally disturbed woman with a gun. She's eating dinner with Jesus and all the saints right now, I have ho doubt, because none of what happened was her fault.'

'But Jim—'

'Don't interrupt me when I'm talking, Stewart. It was the drugs. Those damn things rotted her brain. People are going to realize that as soon as they calm down a little. Chester's Mill is blessed with sensible, courageous folks. I trust them to come through, always have, always will. Besides, right now they don't have a thought in their heads: except for seeing their nearest and dearest. Our operation is still aj go for noon. You, Fern, P^oger. Melvin Searles. Fred Denton will be in charge. He can pick another four or five, if he thinks he needs them.'

'He the best you can do?' Stewart asked.

'Fred is fine,' Big Jim said.

'What about Thibodeau? That boy who's been hanging around with y—'

'Stewart Bowie, every time you open your mouth, half your guts fall out.You need to shut up for once and listen. We're talking about a scrawny drug addict and a pharmacist who wouldn't say boo to a goose. You got an amen on that?'

'Yeah, amen.'

'Use town trucks. Grab Fred as soon as you're off the phone—he's got to be around there someplace—and tell him what's what. Tell him you fellows should armor up, just to be on the safe side. We've got all that happy Homeland Security crappy in the back room of the police station—bulletproof vests and flak jackets and I don't know whatall—so we might as well make use of it. Then you go in there and take those fellows out. We need that propane.'

'What about the lab? I was thinking maybe we should burn it—'

'Are you crazy'?' Carter, who had just walked back into the room, looked at him in surprise. 'With all those chemicals stored there? The Shumway woman's newspaper is one thing; that storage building is an entirely different kettle of chowder. You want to look out, pal, or I'll start thinking you're as stupid as Roger Killian.'

'All right.' Stewart sounded sulky, but Big Jim reckoned he would do as told. He had no more time for him, anyway; Randolph would be arriving any minute.

The parade of fools never ends, he thought.

'Now give me a big old praise God,' Big Jim said. In his mind he had a picture of himself sitting on Stewart's back and grinding his face into the dirt. It was a cheering picture.

'Praise God,' Stewart Bowie muttered.

'Amen, brother,' Big Jim said, and hung up.

12

Chief Randolph came in shortly thereafter, looking tired but not unsatisfied. 'I think we've lost some of the younger recruits for good—Dodson, Rawcliffe, and the Richardson boy are all gone—but most of the others stuck. And I've got some new ones. Joe Boxer… Stubby Norman… Aubrey Towle… his brother owns the bookstore, you know…'

Big Jim listened to this recitation patiently enough, if with only half an ear. When Randolph finally ran down, Big Jim slid the VADER envelope across the polished conference table to him.'That's what poor old Andrea was waving around. Have a look.'

Randolph hesitated, then bent back the clasps and slid out the contents. 'There's nothing here but blank paper.'

'Right you are, right as rain. When you assemble your force tomorrow—seven o'clock sharp, at the PD, because you can believe your ^Jncle Jim when he says the ants are going to start trekking out of the| hill mighty early—you might make sure they know the poor woman was just as deluded as the anarchist who shot President McKinley'

'Isn't that a mountain?' Randolph asked.

Rig Jim spared a moment to wonder which dumbtree Mrs Randolph's little boy had fallen out of. Then he pressed ahead. He wouldn't get a good eight hours' sleep tonight, but with the blessing he might manage five. And he needed it. His poor old heart needed it.

'Use all the police cars.Two officers to a car. Make sure everyone has Mace and Tasers. But anyone who discharges a firearm in sight of reporters and cameras and the cotton-picking outside world… I'll have that man's guts for garters.'

'Yessir.'

'Have them drive along the shoulders of 119, flanking the crowd. No sirens, but lights flashing.'

'JLike in a parade,' PLandolph said.

'Yes, Pete, like in a parade. Leave the highway itself for the people. Tell those in cars to leave them and walk. Use your loudspeakers. I want them good and tired when they get out there. Tired people tend to be well-behaved people.'

'You don't think we should spare a few troops to hunt for the escaped prisoners?' He saw Big Jim's eyes flash and raised one hand. 'Just asking, just asking.'

'Well, and you deserve an answer.You're the Chief, after all. Isn't he, Carter?'

'Yup,' Carter said.

'The answer is no, Chief Randolph, because… listen closely now… they can't escape. There's a Dome around Chester's Mill and they absotively… posilutely… cannot escape. Now do you follow that line of reasoning?' He observed the color rising in Randolph's cheeks and said, 'Be careful how you answer, now. I would, anyway.'