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"Tracy," Lened a secrecy oath If I violated it, I could be put in jail, but more importantI wouldn’t have uess I can understand that"

"Good Now tellyou can about your assailant"

As it turned out, she had not seen ht had illu for an ani as me The yellow eyes" She shuddered "And its face wasstrange"

"In ay?"

"Luh she had been very pale at the start, she grew paler now, and fine beads of sweat appeared along her hairline, da on the footrail of the bed, straining forward, intensely interested, not wanting to , startling the girl She looked fearfully at the rattling here the windthrough the glass

Which was, Leotten to Wes Dalberg

The girl sed hard "Its eand the teeth

She could not stop shaking, and Le hand on her shoulder "It’s okay, honey It’s over now It’s all behind you"

After a pause to regain control of herself, but still shivering, Tracy said, "I think it was kind of hairyor furryI’"

"What kind of animal did it resemble?" Le else"

"But if you had to say it was like soar than anything else?"

"No Not a cougar"

"Like a dog?"

She hesitated "Maybea little bit like a dog"

"Maybe a little bit like a bear, too?"

"No"

"Like a panther?"

"No Not like any cat"

"Like a"I don’t knohybut, yeah,and no monkey has teeth like that"

The door opened from the hall, and Dr Selbok appeared "You’re already past five minutes"

Walt started to wave the doctor out

Lem said, "No, it’s okay We’re finished Half athe seconds," Selbok said, retreating

To the girl Leaze and said, "To keep quiet?"

Lem nodded

She said, "Yeah I sure don’t want to tell anybody My folks think I’e Mentally and e wild stories aboutaboutto think I’ure I’h to take care of the horses, and soplans I won’t risk that, Mr Johnson No, sir So as far as I’m concerned, it was a loco coyote But

"Yes?"

"Can you tell meis there any chance it’ll come back?"

"I don’t think so But it would be wise, for a while, not to go out to the stable at night All right?"

"All right," she said Judging by her haunted expression, she would remain indoors after dusk for weeks to come

They left the room, thanked Dr Selbok for his cooperation, and went down to the hospital’s parking garage Dawn had not yet arrived, and the cavernous concrete structure was empty, desolate Their footsteps echoed hollowly off the wails

Their cars were on the sareen, unmarked NSA sedan As Lem put the key in the door to unlock it, Walt looked around to be sure they were alone, then said, "Tell me"

’’Can’t"

’’I’ll find out"

"You’re off the case"

"So take ering the national security"

"It would be a fair charge"

"Throw h he kneould not

Curiously, though Walt’s doggedness was frustrating andto Lem He had few friends, of which Walt was the most important, and he liked to think the reason he had few friends was because he was selective, with high standards If Walt had backed off entirely, if he had been completely cowed by federal authority, if he’d been able to turn off his Curiosity as easily as turning off a light switch, he would have been slightly tarnished and di and an ape and has yellow eyes?" Walt asked "Aside from your mama, that is"

"You leavein spite of hiot into the car