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lar reason why it should have been； he was a typical boy in most ways； despite his economy and his gracefulness。 His family was upper middle class and still upwardly mobile； and the marriage of his parents was sound。 They loved each other firmly； if a little stodgily。 There had never been any great trauma in Mark's life。 The few school fights had not scarred him。 He got along with his peers and in general wanted the same things they wanted。
If there was anything that set him apart； it was a reservoir of remoteness； of cool self…control。 No one had inculcated it in him； he seemed to have been born with it。 When his pet dog； Chopper； had been hit by a car； he had insisted on going with his mother to the vet's。 And when the vet had said； The dog has got to be put to sleep； my boy。 Do you understand why？ Mark said； You're not going to put him to sleep。 You're going to gas him to death； aren't you？ The vet said yes。 Mark told him to go ahead； but he had kissed Chopper first。 He had felt sorry but he hadn't cried and tears had never been close to the surface。 His mother had cried but three days later Chopper was in the dim past to her； and he would never be in the dim past for Mark。 That was the value in not crying。 Crying was like pissing everything out on the ground。
He had been shocked by the disappearance of Ralphie Glick； and shocked again by Danny's death； but he had not been frightened。 He had heard one of the men in the store say that probably a sex pervert had gotten Ralphie。 Mark knew what perverts were。 They did something to you that got their rocks off and when they were done they strangled you （in the ic books； the guy getting strangled always said Arrrgggh） and buried you in a gravel pit or under the boards of a deserted shed。 If a sex pervert ever offered him candy； he would kick him in the balls and then run like a split streak。
'Mark？' His mother's voice； drifting up the stairs。 'I am；' he said； and smiled again。
'Don't forget your ears when you wash。'
'I won't。'
He went downstairs to kiss them good night； moving lithely and gracefully； sparing one glance backward to the table where his monsters rested in tableau： Dracula with his mouth open； showing his fangs； was menacing a girl lying on the ground while the Mad Doctor was torturing a lady on the rack and Mr Hyde was creeping up on an old guy walking home。
Understand death？ Sure。 That was when the monsters got you。
6
Roy McDougall pulled into the driveway of his trailer at half past eight； gunned the engine of his old Ford twice； and turned the engine off。 The header pipe was just about shot； the blinkers didn't work； and the sticker came up next month。 Some car。 Some life。 The kid was howling in the house and Sandy was screaming at him。 Great old marriage。
He got out of the car and fell over one of the flagstones he had been meaning to turn into a walk from the driveway to the steps since last summer。
'Shitfire；' he muttered； glowering balefully at the piece of flagging and rubbing his shin。
He was quite drunk。 He had gotten off work at three and had been drinking down at Dell's ever since with Hank Peters and Buddy Mayberry。 Hank had been flush just lately； and seemed intent on drinking up the whole of his dividend； whatever it had been。 He knew what Sandy thought of his buddies。 Well； let her get tightassed。 Begrudge a man a few beers on Saturday and Sunday even though he spent the whole week breaking his back on the goddamn picker…and getting weekend overtime to boot。 Who was she to get so holy？ She spent all day sitting in the house with nothing to do but take care of the place and shoot the shit with the mailman and see that the kid didn't crawl into the oven。 She hadn't been watching him too close lately； anyway。 Goddamn kid even fell off the changing table the other day。
Where were you？
I was holding him； Roy。 He just wriggles so。
Wriggles。 Yeah。
He went up to the door； still steaming。 His leg hurt where he had bumped it。 Not that he'd get any sympathy from her。 So what was she doing while he was sweating his guts out for that prick of a foreman？ Reading confession magazines and eating chocolate…covered cherries or watching the soap operas on the TV and eating chocolate…covered cherries or gabbing to her friends on the phone and eating chocolate…covered cherries。 She was getting pimples on her ass as well as her face。 Pretty soon you wouldn't be able to tell the two of them apart。
He pushed open the door and walked in。
The scene struck him immediately and forcibly； cutting through the beer haze like the flick of a wet towel： the baby； naked and screaming； blood running from his nose； Sandy holding him； her sleeveless blouse smeared with blood； looking at him over her shoulder； her face contracting with surprise and fear； the diaper on the floor。
Randy； with the discolored marks around his eyes barely fading； raised his hands as if in supplication。
'What's going on around here？' Roy asked slowly。
'Nothing； Roy。 He just…'
'You hit him；' he said tonelessly。 'He wouldn't hold still for the diapers so you smacked him。'
'No；' she said quickly。 'He rolled over and bumped his nose； that's all。 That's all。'
'I ought to beat the shit out of you；' he said。
'Roy； he just bumped his nose…'
His shoulders slumped。 'What's for dinner？'
'Hamburgs。 They're burnt；' she said petulantly； and pulled the bottom of her blouse out of her Wranglers to wipe under Randy's nose。 Roy could see the roll of fat she was getting。 She'd never bounced back after the baby。 Didn't care。
'Shut him up。'
'He isn't…'
'Shut him up！' Roy yelled； and Randy； who had actually been quieting down to snuffles； began to scream again。
'I'll give him a bottle；' Sandy said； getting up。
'And get my dinner。' He started to take off his denim jacket。 'Christ； isn't this place a mess。 What do you do all day； beat off？'
'Roy！' she said； sounding shocked。 Then she giggled。 Her insane burst of anger at the baby who would not hold still on his diapers so she could pin them began to be far away； hazy。 It might have happened on one of her afternoon stories； or 'Medical Center'。
'Get my dinner and then pick this frigging place up。'
'All right。 All right； sure。' She got a bottle out of the refrigerator and put Randy down in the playpen with it。 He began to suck it apathetically； his eyes moving from mother to father in small； trapped circles。
'Roy？'
'Hmmm？ What？'
'It's all over。'
'What is？'
'You know what。 Do you want to？ Tonight？'
'Sure；' he said。 'Sure。' And thought again： isn't this some life。 Isn't this just some life。
7
Nolly Gardener was listening to rock n' roll music on WLOB and snapping his fingers when the telephone rang。 Parkins put down his crossword magazine and said； 'Cut that some； will you？'
'Sure； Park。' Nolly turned the radio down and went on snapping his fingers。
'Hello？' Parkins said。
'Constable Gillespie？'
'Yeah。'
'Agent Tom Hanrahan here； Sir。 I've got the information you requested。'
'Good of you to get back so quick。'
'We haven't got much