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itious or the occult。 He was ill…prepared for this。 。 。 whatever it was。
Fighting the urge to run with everything in him； be forced himself to lean even closer。 〃What did you say？〃 he asked a second time
The grin。 That was bad。
〃The soil of a man's heart is stonier； Louis；〃 the dying man whispered。 〃A man grows what he can and tends it。〃
Louis。 he thought； hearing nothing with his conscious mind after his own name。 Oh my God he called me by my name
〃Who are you？〃 Louis asked in a trembling； papery voice。 〃Who are you？〃
〃Injun bring my fish〃
〃How did you know my…〃 〃Keep clear； us。 Know…〃 〃You…〃
〃Caa；〃 the young man said； and now Louis fancied he could smell death on his breath； internal injuries； lost rhythm； failure； rein。
〃What？〃 A crazy urge came to shake him。
〃Gaaaaaaaa…〃
The young man in the red gym shorts began to shudder all over。 Suddenly he seemed to freeze with every muscle locked。 His eyes lost their vacant expression momentarily and seemed to find Louis's eyes。 Then everything let go at once。 There was a bad stink。 Louis thought he would； must speak again。 Then the eyes resumed their vacant expression。 。 。 and began to glaze。 The man was dead。
Louis sat back； vaguely aware that all his clothes were sticking to him； he was drenched with sweat。 Darkness bloomed； spreading a wing softly over his eyes； and the world began to swing sickeningly sideways。 Recognizing what was happening； he half…turned from the dead man； thrust his head down between his knees； and pressed the nails of his left thumb and left forefinger into his gums hard enough to bring blood。
After a moment the world began to clear again。
13
Then the room filled up with people； as if they were all only actors； waiting for their cue。 This added to Louis's feeling of unreality and disorientation…the strength of these feelings； which he had studied in psychology classes but never actually experienced； frightened him badly。 It was； he supposed； the way a person would feel shortly after someone had slipped a powerful dose of LSD into his drink。
Like a play staged only for my benefit； he thought。 The room is first conveniently cleared so the dying Sibyl can speak a few lines of oblique prophecy to me and me alone； and as soon as he's dead； everyone es back。
The candy…stripers bungled in； one on each end of the hard stretcher； the one they used for people with spinal or neck injuries。 Joan Charlton followed them； saying that the campus police were on their way。 The young man had been struck by a car while jogging。 Louis thought of the joggers who had run in front of his car that morning and his guts rolled。
Behind Charlton came Steve Masterton with two Campus Security cops。 〃Louis； the people who brought Pascow in are 。 。 。〃 He broke off and said sharply； 〃Louis； are you all right？〃
〃I'm okay；〃 he said and got up。 Faintness washed over him again and then withdrew。 He groped。 〃Pascow is his name？〃
One of the campus cops said； 〃Victor Pascow； according to the girl he was jogging with。〃
Louis glanced at his watch and subtracted two minutes。 From the room where Masterton had sequestered the people who had brought Pascow in； he could hear a girl sobbing wildly。 Wele back to school； little lady； he thought。 Have a nice semester。 〃Mr。 Pascow died at 10：09 A。M。；〃 he said。
One of the cops wiped the back of his hand across his mouth。 Masterton said again； 〃Louis； are you really okay？ You look terrible。〃
Louis opened his mouth to answer； and one of the candy stripers abruptly dropped her end of the hard stretcher and ran out； vomiting down the front of her pinafore。 A phone began to ring。 The girl who had been sobbing now began to scream the dead man's name…〃Vic！ Vic！ Vic！〃…over and over。 Bedlam。 Confusion。 One of the cops was asking Charlton if they could have a blanket to cover him up； and Chariton was saying she didn't know if she had the authority to requisition one； and Louis found himself thinking of a line from Maurice Sendak： 〃Let the wild rumpus start！〃
Those rotten giggles rose in his throat again； and somehow he managed to bottle them up。 Had this Pascow really said the words Pet Sematary？ Had this Pascow really spoken his name？ Those were the things that were knocking him off kilter； the things that had sent him wobbling out of orbit。 But already his mind seemed to be wrapping those few moments in a protective film…sculpting； changing； disconnecting。 Surely he had said something else （if he had indeed spoken at all）； and in the shock and unhappy passion of the moment； Louis had misinterpreted it。 More likely； Pascow had only mouthed sounds； as he had at first thought。
Louis groped for himself； for that part of himself that had caused the administration to give him this job over the other fifty…three applicants for the position。 There was no one in mand here； no forward motion； the room was full of milling people。
〃Steve； go give that girl a trank；〃 he said； and just saying the words made him feel better。 It was as if he were in a rocketship under power now； puffing away from a tiny moonlet。 Said moon…let being； of course； that irrational moment when Pascow had spoken。 Louis had been hired to take charge； he was going to do it。
〃Joan。 Give the cop a blanket。〃
〃Doctor； we haven't inventoried…〃
〃Give it to him anyway。 Then check on that candy…striper。〃 He looked at the other girl； who still held her end of the hard stretcher。 She was staring at Pascow's remains with a kind of hypnotized fascination。 〃Candy…striper！〃 Louis said harshly； and her eyes jerked away from the body。
〃W…W…Wh…〃
〃What's the other girl's name？〃
〃W…Who？〃
〃The one who puked；〃 he said with deliberate harshness。
〃Juh…Juh…Judy。 Judy DeLessio。〃
〃Your name？〃
〃Carla。〃 Now the girl sounded a little more steady。
〃Carla； you go check on Judy。 And get that blanket。 You'll find a pile of them in the little utility closet off Examining Room One。 Go； all of you。 Let's look a little professional here。〃
They got moving。 Very shortly the screaming in the other room quieted。 The phone； which had stopped ringing； now began again。 Louis pushed the hold button without picking up the receiver off its cradle。
The older campus cop looked more together； and Louis spoke to him。 〃Who do we notify？ Can you give me a list？〃
The cop nodded and said； 〃We haven't had one of these in six years。 It's a bad way to start the semester。〃
〃It sure is；〃 Louis said。 He picked up the phone and punched off the hold button。
〃Hello？ Who is…〃 an excited voice began； and Louis cut it off。 He began to make his calls。
14
Things did not slow down until nearly four that afternoon； after Louis and Richard Irving； the head of Campus Security； made a statement to the press。 The young man； Victor Pascow； had been jogging with two friends； one of them his fiancée。 A car driven by Tremont Withers； twenty…three； of Haven； Maine； had e up the road leading from the Lengyll Women's Gymnasium toward the center of campus at an excessive speed。 Withers's car had struck Pascow and driven him head…first into a tree。 Pascow had been brought to the infirmary in a blanket by his friends and two passersby。 He had died minutes later。 Withers was being held pending charges of reckless driving； driving under the influence； and vehicular manslaughter。
The editor of the campus newspaper asked if he could say that Pascow had died of head injuries。 Louis； thinking of that broken window through which the brain itself could be seen； said he would rather let the Penobscot County coroner announce the cause of death。 The editor then asked if the four young people who had brought Pascow to the infirmary in the blanket might not have inadvertently caused his death。
〃No；〃 Louis replied。 〃Not at all。 Unhappily； Mr。 Pascow was in my opinion； mortally wounded upon being struck。〃
There were other questions…a few…but that answer really ended the press conference。 Now Louis sat in his office （Steve Masterton had gone home an hour before； immediately following the press conference…to catch himself on the evening news Louis suspected） trying to pick up the shards