按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
one of Marsha's smooth cheeks。 Her husband was still clean； but his brother…in…law … Bill； had that been his name？ … was lousy with the stuff。 Best…in…show； Henry thought。
He knelt by Bill； took his byrus…speckled hand； and spoke down into the tangled jungle of his bad dreams。 Wake up； Bill。 Wakey…wakey； We have to get out of here。 And if you help me； we can。 Wake up； Bill。
Wake up and be a hero。
7
It happened with a speed that was exhilarating。
Henry felt Bill's mind rising toward his； floundering out of the nightmares that had entangled it； reaching for Henry the way a drowning man will reach for the lifeguard who has swum out to save him。 Their minds connected like couplers on a pair of freight…cars。
Don't talk； don't try to talk； Henry told him。 Just hoId on。 We need Marsha and Charles。 The four of us should be enough。
What…
No time； Billy。 Let's go。
Bill took his sister…in…law's hand。 Marsha's eyes flashed open at once； almost as if she had been waiting for this； and Henry felt all the dials inside his head turn up another notch。 She wasn't supporting as much growth as Bill； but perhaps had more natural talent。 She took Charles's hand without a single question。 Henry had an idea she had already grasped what was going on here； and what needed to be done。 Thankfully； she also grasped the necessity of speed。 They were going to bomb these people； then swing them like a club。
Charles sat with a jerk； eyes wide and bulging from their fatty sockets。 He got up as if someone had goosed him。 Now all four of them were on their feet； hands joined like participants in a s6xance 。 。 。 which； Henry reflected； this almost was。
Give it to me； he told them； and they did。 The feeling was like having a magic wand placed in his hand。
Listen to me； he called。
Heads rose； some people sat up out of sound sleeps as if they had been electrified。
Listen to me and boost me 。 。 。 boost me up！ Do you understand？ Boost me up！ This is your only chance； so BOOST ME UP！
They did it as instinctively as people whistling a tune or clapping to a beat。 If he'd given them time to think about it； it probably would have been harder； perhaps even impossible； but he didn't。 Most of them had been sleeping； and he caught the infected ones； the telepaths； with their minds wide open。
Operating on instinct himself； Henry sent a series of images： soldiers wearing masks surrounding the barn； most with guns； some with backpacks connected to long wands。 He made the faces of the soldiers into editorial…page caricatures of cruelty。 At an amplified order； the wands unleashed streams of liquid fire： napalm。 The sides of the barn and roof caught at once。
Henry shifted to the inside； sending pictures of screaming； milling people。 Liquid fire dripped through holes in the blazing roof and ignited the hay in the lofts。 Here was a man with his hair on fire； there a woman in a burning ski…parka still decorated with lift…tickets from Sugarloaf and Ragged Mountain。
They were all looking at Henry now … Henry and his linked friends。 Only the telepaths were receiving the images； but perhaps as many as sixty per cent of the people in the barn were infected； and even those who weren't caught the sense of panic； a rising tide lifts all boats。
Clamping Bill's hand tightly with one of his own and Marsha's with the other； Henry switched the images back to the outside perspective again。 Fire； encircling soldier； an amplified voice shouting for the soldiers to be sure no one got clear。
The detainees were on their feet now； speaking in a rising babble of frightened voices （except for the deep telepaths； they only stared at him； haunted eyes in byrus…speckled faces）。 He showed them the barn burning like a torch in the snow…driven night； the wind turning an inferno into an explosion； a firestorm； and still the napalm hoses poured it on and still the amplified voice exhorted： 'THAT'S RIGHT； MEN； GET THEM ALL； DON'T LET ANY OF THEM GET A WAY； THERRE THE CANCER AND WE'RE THE CURE！'
Imagination fully pumped up now； feeding on itself in a kind of frenzy； Henry sent images of the few people who managed to find the exits or to wriggle out through the windows。 Many of these were in flames。 One was a woman with a child cradled in her arms。 The soldiers machine…gunned all of them but the woman and the child； who were turned into napalm candles as they ran。
'No！' several women screamed in unison； and Henry realized with a species of sick wonder that all of them； even those without children； had put their own faces on the burning woman。
They were up now； milling around like cattle in a thunderstorm。 He had to move them before they had a chance to think once； let alone twice。
Gathering the force of the minds linked to his； Henry sent them an image of the store。
THERE！ he called to them。 IT'S YOUR ONLY CHANCE！ THROUGH THE STORE IF YOU CAN； BREAK DOWN THE FENCE IF THE DOOR'S BLOCKED！ DON'T STOP； DON'T HESITATE！ GET INTO THE WOODS！ HIDE IN THE WOODS！ THEY'RE ING TO BURN THIS PLACE DOWN； THE BARN AND EVERYONE IN IT； AND THE WOODS ARE YOUR ONLY CHANCE！ NOW； NOW！
Deep in the well of his own imagination； flying on the pills Owen had given him and sending with all his strength … images of possible safety there； of certain death here； images as simple as those in a child's picture…book … he was only distantly aware that he had begun chanting aloud： 'Now； now； now。'
Marsha Chiles picked it up； then her brother…in…law； then Charles； the man with the overgrown solar sex…panel。
'Now！ Now！ Now！'
Although immune to the byrus and thus no more telepathic than the average bear； Darren was not immune to the growing vibe； and he also joined in。
'Now！ Now！ Now！'
It 'umped from person to person and group to group； a panic…induced infection more catching than the byrus： 'Now！ Now！ Now！'
The barn shook with it。 Fists were pumping in unison； like fists at a rock concert。
'NOW！ NOW！ NOW！'
Henry let them take it over and build it； pumping his own fist without even realizing it； flinging his hand into the air to the farthest reach of his aching arm even as he reminded himself not to be caught up in the cyclone of the mass mind he had created： when they went north； he was going south。 He was waiting for some point of no return to be reached … the point of ignition and spontaneous bustion。
It came。
'Now；' he whispered。
He gathered Marsha's mind； Bill's； Charlie's 。 。 。 and then the others that were close and particularly locked in。 He merged them； pressed them； and then flung that single word like a silver bullet into the heads of the three hundred and seventeen people in Old Man Gosselin's barn：
NOW。
There was a moment of utter silence before hell's door flew open。
8
Just before dusk； a dozen two…man sentry huts （they were actually Porta…Potties with the urinals and toilet…seats yanked out） had been set up at intervals along the security fence。 These came equipped with heaters that threw a stuporous glow in the small spaces； and the guards had no interest in going outside them。 Every now and then one of them would open a door to allow in a