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After trying the phone and discovering that the line was dead, that not just the pay phones but the town’s entire phone system had been interdicted, Sam and Tessa sat at a round table in one corner, at Harry’s insistence, while he ood Colombian in a Mr Coffee ood"

Chilled and tired, in need of the caffeine, Tessa did not decline the offer Indeed, she was fascinated that Harry, with such severe disabilities, could function well enough to play the gracious host to unexpected visitors

With his one good hand and soe of apple-cinnamon muffins froerator, plates and forks, and paper napkins When Saently declined their assistance with a s either to the company, even at this hour and under these bizarre circumstances Perhaps it was a rare pleasure

"No cream," he said

"Just a carton of ant porcelain crea thea docue required to remain independent in his circumstances She was drawn by the siren call of her art in spite of what had transpired in the past few hours Long ago, however, she had learned that an artist’s creativity could not be turned off; the eye of a filmmaker could not be capped as easily as the lens of her carief over her sister’s death, ideas for projects had continued to coles Even in the terror of war, running with Afghan rebels as Soviet planes strafed the ground at their heels, she’d been excited by what she was getting on filot into an editing room--and her three--er felt aard or guilty about being an artist on the edy; for her, that was just natural, a part of being creative and alive

Customized to his needs, Harry’s wheelchair included a hydraulic lift that raised the seat a few inches, bringing hiht, so he could sit at an ordinary table or writing desk He took a place beside Tessa and across fro, occasionally raising his head as if interested in their conversation--though more likely drawn by the s and pawing around, whining for handouts, and Tessa was impressed by his discipline

As they passed the coffee pot and carved up the cake and s you here, Sam--not just my letter but all these so-called accidents" He looked at Tessa, and because she was on his right side, the permanent ck of his head to the lefther with suspicion or at least skepticish his true attitude was belied by his warm smile

"But just where do you fit in, Miss Lockland?"

"Call me Tessa, please Well … my sister was Janice Capshaw--"

"Richard Capshaw’s wife, the Lutheran ht"

"Why, they used to coation, but that’s how they were We became friends And after he died, she still stopped by now and then Your sister was a dear and wonderful person, Tessa" He put down his coffee cup and reached out to her with his good hand "She was my friend"

Tessa held his hand It was leathery and calloused fro, as if all the frustrated power of his paralyzed body found expression through that single extremity

"I watched them take her into the creh my telescope I’m a watcher That’s what I do with htly He held Tessa’s hand a bit tighter "It’s not just snooping In fact it isn’t snooping at all It’s … participating Oh, I like to read, too, and I’ve got a lot of books, and I do a heavy load of thinking, for sure, but it’s watching, o upstairs later I’ll show you the telescope, the whole setup I think maybe you’ll understand I hope you will Anyway, I saw theh I didn’t knoho it was until two days later, when the story of her death was in the county paper I couldn’t believe she died the way they said she did Still don’t believe it"

"Neither do I," Tessa said "And that’s why I’o of Tessa’s hand "So many bodies lately, ht, andthings--it’s strange as hell for a quiet little town like this"

From across the table, Sam said, "Twelve accidental deaths or suicides in less than two months"

"Twelve?" Harry said

"Didn’t you realize it was that many?" Sam asked

"Oh, it’s more than that"

Sam blinked

Harry said, "Twenty, by my count"

50

After Watkins left, Shaddack returned to the computer terminal in his study, reopened his link to Sun, the supercoain on a probleh it o-thirty in the , he would put in a few more hours, for the earliest he went to bed was dawn

He had been at the ter

Until Booker was apprehended, the telephone co those who had been converted, from one of their numbers to one of their numbers Other lines were cut off, and calls to the outside world were interrupted before being coht Cove were answered by a recording that pleaded equipment failure, promised a return to full service within twenty-four hours, and expressed regret at the inconvenience

Therefore, Shaddack knew the callerthe converted and, because it was his most private line, must also be one of his closest associates at New Wave A LED readout on the base of the phone displayed the nunized as that of Mike Peyser He picked up the receiver and said, " Shaddack here"

The caller breathed heavily, raggedly into the phone but said nothing

Frowning, Shaddack said, "Hello?"

Just the breathing

Shaddack said, "Mike, is that you?"

The voice that finally responded to hie, whispery yet forceful, Peyser’s voice yet not his, strange: "… soe, can’t … wrong … wrong …"