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out the Sociable without dissembling。 It had started with a certain grimness； he felt： a stoic sense that the show must go on； despite everything。 But the gloom and oppression had seemed to lift。 The town had bee itself again； and not even Chauncy's stultifying lecture； which still droned on behind him； could change that。 The thirty…third annual Gro…Bain Turkey Sociable was a success。
Ludwig fetched a deep； slow breath as he looked out from the steps of the church。 And then； suddenly； he froze。
One by one； the people around him began to do the same； staring out from the wooden doorway。 There was a gasp； a low murmur。 Like an electric current； the murmur began to jump from person to person； running back into the crowds within the hall itself； growing in volume until Chauncy's exegesis of variegated corn kernels came under threat。
〃What is it？〃 Chauncy said； stopping in mid…sentence。 〃What's going on？〃
Nobody answered。 All eyes were fixed on the horizon beyond the open doors of the hall； where； against the yellow sky； a lazy column of vultures wheeled in ever tightening circles above the endless corn。
Fourteen
When Corrie Swanson pulled up to the church； people were standing on the front lawn； huddled together in groups； murmuring anxiously。 Now and then somebody would break away from one of the groups and stare out in the direction of the cornfields。 There must have been fifty people out there； but she didn't see Pendergast among them。 And that made no sense； because he'd asked her to e right away。 He'd been most insistent on it； in fact。
It was almost a relief to find him missing。 Pendergast was going to get her into even worse trouble than she already was in this town…she could feel it in her bones。 She was already the town's A…number…one pariah。 Once again； she wondered what the hell she'd gotten herself into。 The money was still burning a hole in her glove partment。 He'd get her in trouble； and then he'd be gone； and she'd still be stuck in Medicine Creek dealing with the consequences。 If she were smart； she'd give him back the money and wash her hands of the whole thing。
She jumped involuntarily as a black figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere beside the car。 Pendergast opened the passenger door and slid in as sleekly as a cat。 The way he moved gave her the creeps sometimes。
She reached for the dashboard； turned down the blaring sound of 〃Starfuckers〃 by Nine Inch Nails。 〃So； where to； Special Agent？〃 she said as casually as she could。
Pendergast nodded toward the cornfields。 〃Do you see those birds？〃
She shaded her eyes against the glow of the sunset。 〃What； those turkey vultures？ What about them？〃
〃That's where we're going。〃
She revved the engine； the car shuddered and coughed black smoke。 〃There's no roads out that way； and this is a Gremlin； not a Hummer； in case you hadn't noticed。〃
〃Don't worry； Miss Swanson； I will not get you mired in a cornfield。 Head west on the Cry Road； please。〃
〃Whatever。〃 She stamped on the accelerator and the Gremlin pulled away from the curb； shuddering with the effort。
〃So how was the Turkey Sociable？〃 she asked。 〃That's like the big event of the year in Shit Creek。〃
〃It was most instructive…from an anthropological point of view。〃
〃Anthropological？ Yeah； right； Special Agent Pendergast among the savages。 Did they introduce that guy from KSU； the one who wants to grow radioactive corn around here？〃
〃Genetically modified corn。 They did。〃
〃And what was he like？ Did he have three heads？〃
〃If he did； two must have been successfully removed in infancy。〃
Corrie looked at him。 He looked back from the broken seat with his usual placid； mild； unsmiling expression。 She could never tell whether or not he was cracking a joke。 He had to be the weirdest adult she'd ever met； and with all the characters wandering around Medicine Creek； that was saying something。
〃Miss Swanson？ Your speed。〃
〃Sorry。〃 She braked。 〃I thought you FBI guys drove as fast as you wanted。〃
〃I'm on vacation。〃
〃The sheriff goes everywhere at a hundred miles an hour even when he's off duty。 And you always know when there's fresh eclairs at the Wagon Wheel。 Then he goes a hundred and twenty。〃
They hummed along the smooth asphalt for a while in silence。
〃Miss Swanson； take a look up the road； if you please。 Do you see where the sheriff's car is parked？ Pull in behind it。〃
Corrie squinted into the gathering dusk。 Ahead； she could see the cruiser pulled over onto the wrong shoulder； lights flashing。 Overhead； and maybe a quarter mile into the corn； she could see the column of turkey vultures more clearly。
It suddenly clicked。 〃Jesus；〃 she said。 〃Not another one？〃
〃That remains to be seen。〃
Corrie pulled up behind the cruiser and put on her flashers。 Pendergast got out。 〃I may be a while。〃
〃I'm not ing with you？〃
〃I'm afraid not。〃
〃No problem； I brought a book。〃
She watched Pendergast push his way into the corn and disappear； feeling vaguely annoyed。 Then she turned her attention to the back seat。 She always had five or six books flung about willy…nilly back there…science fiction； horror； splatterpunk； occasionally a teen romance that she never； ever let anybody catch her reading。 She glanced over the pile。 Maybe； while she waited； she'd start that new techno…thriller；Beyond the Ice Limit。 She picked it up； then paused again。 Somehow； the idea of sitting in the car； reading； all alone； didn't seem quite as appealing as it usually did。 She couldn't help but glance again at the column of vultures。 They had soared higher now。 Even against the gathering dusk； she could see they were agitated。 Perhaps the sheriff had scared them off。 She felt a twinge of curiosity： there might be something out there in the corn a whole lot more interesting than anything she'd find in one of her escapist novels。
She tossed the book in the back seat with a snort of impatience。 Pendergast wasn't going to keep her away like that。 She had as much a right as anyone to see what was going on。
She flung open the car door and headed off into the corn。 She could see where the sheriff had tramped through the dirt。 There was another； narrower pair of tracks that ran back and forth over the sheriff's clown shoes： probably his well…meaning but brain…dead deputy； Tad。 And near them； Pendergast's light step。
It was very hot and claustrophobic in the corn。 The husks rose high over Corrie's head； and as she passed by they rattled； showering her with dust and pollen。 There was still some light in the sky； but in the corn it seemed that night had already fallen。 Corrie felt her breath ing faster as she walked。 She began to wonder if this was such a good idea after all。 She never went into the corn。 All her life she had hated the cornfields。 They started in the spring as so much endless dirt； the giant machines tearing up the earth； leaving behind plumes of dust that coated the town and filled her bed with grit。 And then the corn came up and the only thing anyone talked about for four months was the weather。 Slowly the roads got closed in by claustrophobic walls of corn until you felt like you were driving in a tunnel of green。 Now the corn was yellowing and