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r。 Cage began to cry again； a solid； bawling sound that was music to Louis's ears。 To cry like that you had to be getting an unlimited supply of oxygen。
Rachel's knees buckled and she collapsed onto the bed； head supported in her hands。 She was shaking violently。 〃He almost died； didn't he； Louis？ He almost ch…ch…ch…oh my God…〃
Louis walked around the room with his son in his arms。 Gage's cries were tapering off to whimperings； he was already almost asleep again。
〃The chances are fifty to one he would have cleared it himself； Rachel。 I just gave him a hand。〃
〃But he was close；〃 she said。 She looked up at him； and her white…ringed eyes were stunned and unbelieving。 〃Louis； he was so close。〃
Suddenly he remembered her shouting at him in the sunny kitchen： He's not going to die； no one is going to die around here。
〃Honey；〃 Louis said； 〃we're all close。 All the time。〃
It was milk that had almost surely caused the fresh round of vomiting。 Gage had awakened around midnight； she said； an hour or so after Louis had gone to sleep； with his 〃hungry cry；〃 and Rachel had gotten him a bottle。 She had drowsed off again herself while he was still taking it。 About an hour later； the choking spell began。
No more milk； Louis said； and Rachel had agreed； almost humbly。 No more milk。
Louis got back downstairs at around a quarter of two and spent fifteen minutes hunting up the cat。 During his search； he found the door which municated between the kitchen and basement standing ajar； as he suspected he would。 He remembered his mother telling him about a cat that had gotten quite good at pawing open old…fashioned latches； such as the one on their cellar door。 The cat would just climb the edge of the door； she'd said； and pat the thumb plate of the latch with its paw until the door opened。 A cute enough trick； Louis thought； but not one he intended to allow Church to practice often。 There was； after all； a lock on the cellar door； too。 He found Church dozing under the stove and tossed it out the front door without ceremony。 On his way back to the hide…a…bed； he closed the cellar door again。
And this time shot the bolt。
29
In the morning； Gage's temperature was almost normal。 His cheeks were chapped； but otherwise he was bright…eyed and full of beans。 All at once； in the course of a week it seemed； his meaningless gabble had turned into a slew of words； he would imitate almost anything you said。 What Ellie wanted him to say was 〃shit。〃
〃Say shit； Gage；〃 Ellie said over her oatmeal。
〃Shit…Gage；〃 Gage responded agreeably over his own cereal。 Louis allowed the cereal on condition that Gage eat it with only a little sugar。 And； as usual； Gage seemed to be shampooing with it rather than actually eating it。
Ellie dissolved into giggles。
〃Say farts； Gage；〃 she said。
〃Farz…Gage；〃 Gage said； grinning through the oatmeal spread across his face。 〃Farz…n…shit。〃
Ellie and Louis broke up。 It was impossible not to。
Rachel was not so amused。 〃That's enough vulgar talk for one morning； I think；〃 she said； handing Louis his eggs。
〃Shit…n…farz…n…farz…n…shit；〃 Gage sang cheerily； and Ellie hid her giggles in her hands。 Rachel's mouth twitched a little； and Louis thought she was looking a hundred percent better in spite of her broken rest。 A lot of it was relief； Louis supposed。 Gage was better and she was home。
〃Don't say that； Gage；〃 Rachel said。
〃Pretty；〃 Gage said as a change of pace and threw up all the cereal he had eaten into his bowl。
〃Oh； gross…OUT！〃 Ellie screamed and fled the table。
Louis broke up pletely then。 He couldn't help it。 He laughed until he was crying and cried until he was laughing again。 Rachel and Gage stared at him as if he had gone crazy。
No； Louis could have told them。 I've been crazy； but I think I'm going to be all right now。 I really think I am。
He didn't know if it was over or not； but it felt over； perhaps that would be enough。
And for a while； at least； it was。
30
Gage's virus hung on for a week； then cleared up。 A week later he came down with a bout of bronchitis。 Ellie also caught this and then Rachel； during the period before Christmas； the three of them went around hacking like very old and wheezy hunting dogs。 Louis didn't catch it； and Rachel seemed to hold this against him。
The final week of classes at the university was a hectic one for Louis； Steve； Surrendra； and Charlton。 There was no flu…at least not yet…but plenty of bronchitis and several cases of mononucleosis and walking pneumonia。 Two days before classes broke for Christmas； six moaning； drunken fraternity boys were brought in by their concerned friends。 There were a few moments of confusion gruesomely reminiscent of the Pascow affair。 All six of the damned fools had crammed onto one medium…length toboggan （the sixth had actually been sitting on the shoulders of the tail man； from what Louis could piece together） and had set off to ride the toboggan down the hill above the steam plant。 Hilarious。 Except that after gaining a lot of speed； the toboggan had wandered off course and struck one of the Civil War cannons。 The score was two broken arms； a broken wrist； a total of seven broken ribs； a concussion； plus contusions far too numerous to count。 Only the boy riding on the shoulders of the tail…ender had escaped pletely unscathed； When the toboggan hit the cannon； this fortunate soul flew over it and landed headfirst in a snowbank。 Cleaning up the human wreckage hadn't been fun； and Louis had scored all of the boys liberally with his tongue as he stitched and bandaged and stared into pupils； but telling Rachel about it later； he had again laughed until he cried。 Rachel had looked at him strangely； not understanding what was so funny； and Louis couldn't tell her that it had been a stupid accident； and people had been hurt； but they would all walk away from it。 His laughter was partly relief； but it was partly triumph too…won one today； Louis。
The cases of bronchitis in his own family began to clear up around the time that Ellie's school broke for the holidays on December 16； and the four of them settled down to spend a happy and old…fashioned country Christmas。 The house in North Ludlow； which had seemed so strange on that day in August when they pulled into the driveway （strange and even hostile； what with Effie cutting herself out back and Gage getting stung by a bee at almost the same time）； had never seemed more like home。
After the kids were finally asleep on Christmas Eve； Louis and Rachel stole downstairs from the attic like thieves； their arms full of brightly colored boxes…a set of Matchbox racers for Gage； who had recently discovered the joys of toy cars； Barbie and Ken dolls for Ellie； a Turn 'n' Go； an oversized trike； doll clothes； a play oven with a light bulb inside； other stuff。
The two of them sat side by side in the glow of lights from the tree； fussing the stuff together； Rachel in a pair of silk lounging pajamas； Louis in his robe。 He could not remember a more pleasant evening。 There was a fire in the fireplace； and every now and then one or the other of them would rise and throw in another chunk of split birch。
Winston Churchill brushed by Louis once； and he pushed the cat away with an almost absent feeling of distaste…that smell。 Later he saw Church try to settle down next to Rachel's leg； and Rachel also gave it a push and an impatient 〃Scat！〃 A moment later Louis saw his wife rubbing her palm on one silk…clad thigh； the way you sometimes do when you feel you might have touched something nasty or germy。 He didn't think Rachel was even aware she was doing it。
Church ambled over to the brick hearth and collapsed in front of the fire gracelessly。 The cat had no grace at all now； it seemed； it had lost it all on that night Louis rarely allowed himself to think about。 And Church had lost something else as well。 Louis had been aware of it； but it had taken him a full month to pinpoint it exactly。 The cat never purred anymore； and it used to have one of the loudest motors going； particularly when Church was sleeping。 There had been nights when Louis had had to get up and close Ellie's door so he co