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Clouds hid the fraght ca his sedan around and aihts at Lem’s car, which was parked at the end of the unpaved street, so Lem and Cliff would not have to fuloom beyond the headlamps, half-framed houses loomed like the fossilized skeletons of prehistoric reptiles

As he walked toward his car, Leood as he could feel under the circureed to allow federal authorities to assuh Leulations and had violated his secrecy oath by telling Walt the details of the Francis Project, he was sure Walt could keep his mouth shut The lid was still on the case, a bit looser than it had been, perhaps, but still in place

Cliff Soaot in on the passenger’s side, and as Lem opened the driver’s door he heard Cliff say, "Oh, Jesus, oh God" Cliff was scra back out of the car even as Lem looked in from the other side and sahat the uproar was about A head

Teel Porter’s head, no doubt

It was on the front seat of the car, propped so it was facing Le open in a silent screa back from the car, Lem reached under his coat and pulled his revolver

Walt Gaines was already out of his car, his own revolver in hand, running toward Le the NSA sedan, Walt looked through the open door and let out a thin, anguished sound when he saw the head

Cliff caun, with thewas here e arrived, while ere in the house"

"Might still be here," Lern said, anxiously surveying the darkness that crowded them on all sides, beyond the beaht-swaddled housing developet a search under way"

"No point to it," Leif it’s not gone already"

They were standing at the edge of Bordeaux Ridge, beyond which lay miles of open land, foothills and mountains, out of which The Outsider had coes, and canyons were only vague forlow of the partial hted street cales had been knocked over

"It is here," Walt said

"Maybe," Le for it in the dark, not just the three of us That’s what it wants"

They listened

Nothing ot here, before you arrived," Walt said

Cliff said, "It ing your nized reed "In factThe Outsider was probably waiting here just for me It probably understands e of the search for it and the dog So it wanted to leave the deputy’s head for me"

"To mock you?" Walt said

"Touneasily at the blackness within and around the unfinished houses

The hot June air wasengine of the sheriffs car

"Watching us," Walt said

Another clatter of overturned construction materials Nearer this ti a different direction, guarding against attack

The subsequent silence lasted almost a minute

When Lem was about to speak, The Outsider shrieked The cry was alien, chilling This time they could identify the direction froht beyond Bordeaux Ridge

"It’s leaving now," Lem said "It’s decided we can’t be lured into a search, just the three of us, so it’s leaving before we can bring in reinforceain, froernails raked across Le," he said, "we’ll ence teams into the foothills east of here We’ll nail the da to Le the unpleasant task of dealing with Teel Porter’s severed head, Walt said, "Why the eyes? Why does it always tear out the eyes?"

Leressive, bloodthirsty That’s in its genes And partly because it really enjoys spreading terror, I think But also

"What?"

"I wish I didn’t remember this, but I do, very clearly

On one of his visits to Banodyne, Le conversation (of sorts) between Dr Yarbeck and The Outsider Yarbeck and her assistants had taught The Outsider a sign language similar to that developed by the researchers who atteher priorillas, back in the orilla subject-a female named Koko, which had been the center of countless news stories over the past decade-was reputed to have attained a sign-language vocabulary of approximately four hundred words When Lem had last seen it, The Outsider boasted a vocabulary considerably larger than

Koko’s, though still primitive In Yarbeck’s lab, Lee had exchanged conals with the scientist, while an assistant had whispered a running translation The Outsider had expressed a fierce hostility toward everyone and everything, frequently interrupting its dialogue with Yarbeck to dash around its cage in uncontrolled rage, banging on the iron bars, screeching furiously To Le and repellent, but he was also filled with a terrible sadness and pity at the plight of The Outsider: the beast would always be caged, always a freak, alone in the world as no other creature- not even Weatherby’s dog-had ever been The experience had affected hie of sign language between The Outsider and Yarbeck, and now a pertinent part of that eerie conversation caned: Tear out your eyes

You want to tear out ned

Tear out everyone’s eyes

Why?

So can’t see ly

You think you’re ugly?

Much ugly

Where did you get the idea you’re ugly?

From people

What people?

Everyone who see ned, indicating Lely Hate me

No one hates you