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A skin of ne covered the highway now The Jeep wagon had four-wheel drive and was equipped with tire chains, so Stefan was able to ood tih
He estimated that the tavern, where he had stolen the Jeep, was about eleven miles from the Packard house, which was just off state route 330 a fewBear The mountain roads were narroisty, full of dra snow ensured poor visibility, so his average speed was about fortyfaster or more recklessly, for he would be of no use at all to Laura, Danny, and Chris if he lost control of the Jeep and plunged over an embankment to his death At his current speed, however, he would arrive at their place at least ten minutes after they had left
His intention had been to delay theer had passed That plan was no longer viable
The January sky seeht of the storher than the tops of the serried ranks of reens that flanked both sides of the roadway Wind shook the trees and hammered the Jeep Snow stuck to the windshield wipers and became ice, so he turned up the defroster and hunched over the wheel, squinting through the inadequately cleaned glass
When he next glanced at his watch, he saw that he had less than fifteeninto their Chevy Blazer Theyout of their driveway already
He would have to intercept thehway, scant seconds ahead of Death
He tried to squeeze slightlywide of a turn and into an abyss
Five weeks after the day that Danny bought her the Lalique bowl, on August 15, 1979, a fewa can of chicken soup for lunch, when she got a call fro loved Shadrach and were offering a hundred thousand
"Dollars?" she asked
"Of course, dollars," Spencer said "What do you think, Russian rubles? What would that buy you-a hat ainst the kitchen counter because suddenly her legs eak
Spencer said, "Laura, honey, only you can knohat’s best for you, but unless they’re willing to let the hundred grand stand for a floor bid in an auction, I want you to consider turning this down"
"Turn down a hundred thousand dollars?" she asked in disbelief
"I want to send this out to ht houses, set an auction date, see what happens I think I knoill happen, Laura, I think they’ll all love this book as much as I do On the other hando away and think about it before you answerup, Laura dialed Danny at work and told him about the offer
He said, "If they won’t make it a floor bid, turn it down"
"But, Danny, can we afford to? Iapart Yours is almost four years old-"
"Listen, what did I tell you about this book? Didn’t I tell you that it was you, a reflection of what you are?"
"You’re sweet, but-"
"Turn it down Listen, Laura You’re thinking that scorning a hundred K is like spitting in the faces of all the gods of good fortune; it’s like inviting that lightning you’ve spoken about But you earned this payoff, and fate isn’t going to cheat you out of it"
She called Spencer Keene and told hi the hundred thousand dollars, she returned to the den and sat at her typewriter and stared at the unfinished short story for a while until she became aware of the odor of chicken soup and remembered she had left it on the stove She hurried into the kitchen and found that all but half an inch of soup had boiled away; burnt noodles were stuck to the bottom of the pot
At two-ten, which was five-ten New York tireed to let the hundred thousand stand as a floor bid "Now, that’s the very least you rand I think I’ll set Septe to be a big one, Laura I feel it"
She spent the re to be elated but unable to shake off her anxiety Shadrach was already a big success, no matter what happened in the auction She had no reason for her anxiety, but it held her in a tight grip
Danny cane, a bouquet of roses, and a box of Godiva chocolates They sat on the sofa, nibbling chocolates, sipping cha about the future, which seeered
Finally she said, "I don’t want chocolates or chane or roses or a hundred thousand dollars I want you Taketime The late suht rolled in before they parted with a sweet, aching reluctance Lying at her side in the darkness, Danny tenderly kissed her breasts, her throat, her eyes, and finally her lips She realized that her anxiety had at last faded It was not sexual release that expelled her fear Intimacy, total surrender of self, and the sense of snared hopes and dreaood feeling of family that she had as a talisman that effectively warded off cold fate
On Wednesday, September 26, Danny took the day off from •or! to be at Laura’s side as the news ca, ten-thirty New York time, 1 Spencer Keene called to report that Random House had made the first offer above the auction floor "One hundred and twenty-five thousand, and we’re on our way"
Two hours later Spencer called again "Everyone’s off to lunch,so there’ll be a lull Right noe’re up to three hundred and fifty | thousand and six houses are still in the bidding"
"Three hundred and fifty thousand?" Laura repeated