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"I’m sorry," they both said

They stared at each other

Benny s

"You’re a total pain in my butt, little brother"

"You’re a world-class jerk"

The hot breeze blew past theo back"

Benny shook his head "No"

"Why not?"

"Do I have to have an answer?"

"Right now? No Eventually? Probably"

"Yeah," said Benny "That’s okay, I guess Just tellI know you said it already, but I really need to know Really, Toht? Swear on so" He pulled out his wallet and held up the picture "Swear on Mom and Dad"

Tom nodded "Okay, Benny I swear"

"On Mom and Dad"

"On Mom and Dad" Tom touched the picture and nodded

"Okay," said Benny "Then let’s go"

The afternoon burned on, and they followed the two-lane road around the base of the mountain Neither spoke for almost an hour and then To, kiddo I’m out here on a job"

Benny shot hied "It’s not the way I like to phrase it, but … yes, that’s the bottom line"

They walked another half mile

"How does this work? The … job, I mean"

"You saw part of it when you applied to that erosion artist," said To into a jacket pocket and removed an envelope, opened it, and took out a piece of paper that he unfolded and handed to Benny There was a sraph clipped to one corner that showed a s man of about thirty, with sandy hair and a sparse beard The paper it was clipped to was a large portrait of the saht be now if he was a zombie The name "Harold" was handwritten in one corner

"This is why erosion portraits are so useful People have pictures done of wives, husbands, children … anyone they loved Someone they lost So on First Night, and that makes it easier for me, because as I said, the dead seldom move far from where they lived Or worked Guys like me find the They rounded a bend in the road and saw the first few houses of a small town built onto the side of the mountain Even fro in yards or on the sidewalks One stood in the middle of the road with his face tilted toward the sun

Nothing moved

Tom folded the erosion portrait and put it in his pocket, then took out the vial of cadaverine and sprinkled some on his clothes He handed it to Benny, then dabbed soel on his upper lip and passed the jar to his brother

"You ready?"

"Not even a little bit," said Benny

Tom loosened his sword in its scabbard, and led the way Benny shook his head, unsure of how exactly the day had brought him to this moment, and then followed

12

"WON’T THEY ATTACK US?" BENNY WHISPERED

"Not if we’re smart and careful The trick is to move slowly They respond to quick movements Smell, too, but we have that covered"

"Can’t they hear us?"

"Yes, they can," Tom said "So once we’re in the town, don’t talk unless I do, and even then--less isslowly helps A lot of the dead moan … so they’re used to slow, quiet sounds"

"This is like the Scouts," Benny said "Mr Feeney told us that e’re in nature we should act like we’re part of nature"

"For better or worse, Benny … this is part of nature too"

"That doesn’t ood, Toood out here Now hush and keep your eyes open"

They slowed their pace as they neared the first houses To the town The ood view of everything Moving very slowly, Tom removed the envelope from his pocket and unfolded the erosion portrait

"My client said that it was the sixth house along the main street," Tom murmured "Red front door and white fence See it? There, past the oldhis lips He was terrified of the zombies that stood in their yards notfor a man named Harold Sio inside"

"Inside?" Benny asked, his voice quavering

"Co his feet He did not exactly iait of the zombies, but his move Tom did They passed two houses in which zombies stood in the yard The first house, on their left, had three zoh chain-link fence Two little girls and an older woman Their clothes were tatters that blew like holiday streamers in the hot breeze As Tom and Benny passed by them, the old woman turned in their direction To the handle of his sword, but the wo A few paces along, they passed a yard on their right in which aat the corner of the house as if he expected so eeds and creeper vines that had wrapped themselves around his calves It looked like he had stood there for years, and with a sinking feeling of horror, Benny realized that he probably had

Benny wanted to turn and run His mouth was as dry as sand, and sweat ran down his back and into his underwear