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Fro on here?"

Loe coo of Nella’s hand "The doctor thought she needed--"

"What’s that horse needle for?" George said, referring to the huge syringe The needle itself was no larger than an ordinary hypodermic

"Tranquilizer," Dr Worthy said "She needs to--"

"Tranquilizer?" George interrupted "Looks like you gave her enough to knock down a bull"

Loe, the doctor knohat he’s--"

On the bed Nella fell under the thrall of the injection Her body suddenly stiffened, her hands curled into tight fists, her teeth clenched, and her jaw ed In her throat and temples, the arteries swelled and throbbed visibly as her heartbeat drastically accelerated Her eyes glazed over, and she passed into the peculiar twilight that was the Change, neither conscious nor unconscious

"What’s wrong with her?" George deriroan She arched her back until only her shoulders and heels were in contact with the bed She appeared to be full of violent energy, as if she were a boiler straining with excess steam pressure, and for a moment she seemed about to explode Then she collapsed back onto the mattress, shuddered more violently than ever, and broke out in a copious sweat

George looked at Worthy, at Loh he could not begin to understand the nature of that wrongness

"Stop" Loe stepped backward toward the second-floor hall

"Coe, and lie down on the bed beside Nella"

In the doorway George Valdoski froze, staring in disbelief and dismay at the revolver

"If you try to leave," Loman said, "I’ll have to shoot you, and I don’t really want to do that"

"You wouldn’t," George said, counting on decades of friendship to protect him

"Yes, I would," Loman said coldly

"I’d kill you if I had to, and we’d cover it with a story you wouldn’t like We’d say that we caught you in a contradiction, that we found some evidence that you were the one who killed Eddie, killed your own boy, so, and that e confronted you with the proof, you grabbed le You were shot Case closed"

Co from someone as supposed to be a close and treasured friend, Loe was speechless Then, as he stepped back into the room, he said, "You’d let everyone think … think I did those terrible things to Eddie? Why? What’re you doing, Lo?"

"Lie down on the bed," Loe

On the bed Nella was shivering ceaselessly, twitching, writhing Sweat trickled down her face; her hair was daled Her eyes were open, but she seemed unaware that others were in the room Maybe she was not even conscious of her whereabouts She was seeing a place beyond this roo within herself; Lo of his own conversion except that the pain had been excruciating

Reluctantly approaching the bed, George Valdoski said, "What’s happening, Lo’ll be fine," Loe It’s really for the best"

"What’s for the best? What in God’s na’ll be fine"

"What’s happening to Nella?"

"Lie down, George It’s for the best," Loreed as he finished filling the syringe froolden fluid

"It’s really for the best," Loe toward the bed and sly