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It was dusk by the tilass-doo, in the questionable naround rat warren beneath Madison Square Garden The new Penn Station was generally considered the ugliest train station in Western civilization, but luckily, the old Penn persisted in Everlost, if only out of its own indignation

Nick was duly i to ride a train, considering the nature of her death As for the conductor, he was an old friend of Mary’s: a nine-year-old Afterlight who called himself Choo-Choo Charlie In life he was obsessed with host trains, was as good asit to heaven

"I can’t take you to Atlantic City," he told theet you halfway, though, is that okay?"

"Can you get us as far as Lakehurst?" Mary asked "I have a friend there who can take us the rest of the way"

Then, with Charlie in the engine, the ghost train lit out on thefor New Jersey

They arrived in Lakehurst a few hours later, but it took the rest of the night to seek out Mary’s friend there: a Finder na him, Nick decided he preferred a chocolate eternity to an eternity in a wet bathing suit

Nick figured Speedo h, because he had hiuar

"It’s a sweet ride," he told them, as he drove the the car off, "but it can only go on roads that don’t exist anymore -- do you kno hard those are to find?" Then he threw an accusing look at Mary "You never told ave me the car!"

Mary smirked "You never asked"

Speedo told theate a dead-road course all the way to Atlantic City, but Mary didn’t seem concerned

"Actually," she said, "it’s your other ’sweet ride’ that I’ht you’d say that," said Speedo, as they pulled, onto a huge airfield tarmac "But I drive"

When Nick saw the ride they were talking about, even in his ahtower didn’t travel often, but when she did, she sure kne to travel in style!

Chapter 25

The Piers of Defeat As the Sulphur Queen pulled into Atlantic City, a densethe many beachfront hotels fro out like two arhost ship

The Steeplechase Pier stood on the left, with its dozens of rides, all still whirring and spinning like a great gear work churning out tirand showplace of the rich and faolden days before fire burned it into the sea:

"Tonight Frank Sinatra," "Dancing till Dawn in the Marine Ballrooh-Diving Horse"

The living world could no longer see the piers, of course All the living saere the casinos that sucked their arish new Steel Pier, built near the ruins of the original--but like the old and new Penn Stations, there was no comparison When Everlost eyes looked upon Atlantic City’s sandy shore, the two dead piers stood apart, just as the two lost towers stood apart frorand beacons of eternity

The crew of the Sulphur Queen gathered on deck to watch as they neared the piers

"We’re going to crash into them!" Pinhead said

"No on’t," said the McGill, with the confidence of a monster certain of his own destiny The two piers were only twenty yards apart fro a space between theht size for the Sulphur Queen to dock It was the perfect berth, as if it was an intentional part of son It was another indication to the McGill that the universe and he were in perfect alignment--and just as the McGill predicted, the Sulphur Queen slid smoothly between the two piers with just a few feet to spare on either side A perfect fit

"Kill the engine," he told his bridge crew, and they waited until the Sulphur Queen’s forward e dead-spot, bringing them to a halt

"What now?" asked Pinhead His apprehension rolled off hi After all, Pinhead had abandoned the cutthroat gang that called themselves the Twin Pier Marauders They would not take kindly to a traitor if they got their hands on him

The McGill knew that the battle today would be the greatest of his death, but he would be triumphant The fortunes didn’t lie

"Prepare to lower the gangway to the Steel Pier," he told Pinhead "The rest of you come withcha by his ankles, patiently waiting for so chamber--and even less since Nick left It was nice that Allie had joined theh she didn’t seem too happy about it

Lief did not share her frustration Things made sense to Lief now It was like his whole existence was a jigsaw puzzle that finally had every single piece in place No e the puzzle showed, be it the darkness of a pickle barrel, or the i upside down, it didn’t matter because the puzzle was complete He was complete, and that mattered more than his circumstance No amount of unpleasantness could take away that sense of absolute completion He couldn’t explain this to Allie--any more than he was able to explain it to Nick All he kneas that he felt no real desire to leave the chi chamber, or to stay for that matter He was content to simply…be

He knew there were others here like him Many of the chih the forest of souls, Lief caught sight of Allie watching hi hand to wave to her He felt sorry for Allie She had not found her peace Neither had Nick They fought so hard against everything: so full of fear, loneliness, resents, but the , as so many other memories had He didn’t fear the McGill, because there was only one feeling left to him Patience Patience to wait for whatever came next

"We should have stayed with you in your forest," Allie said