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file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Stephen%20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htmThat’s the only way. That’s all anybody knows.”“That’s right,” Louis agreed, and in his mind it all started to happen again, only this time he leaped twofeet farther right at the end, and snagged the back of Gage’s jacket, and none of this was happening.At the time the scene in the East Room happened, Ellie was pushing her Monopoly marker aimlessly—and silently—around the board with Jud Crandall. She shook the dice with one hand and clutched thePolaroid of her pulling Gage on her Speedaway sled with the other.Steve Masterton had decided it would be all right for Rachel to attend the afternoon viewing—in light oflater developments, it was a decision he came to deeply regret.The Goldmans had flown into Bangor that morning and were staying at the Holiday Inn. Her father hadcalled four times by noon, and Steve had to be increasingly firm—almost threatening, by call four—withthe old man. Irwin Goldman wanted to come out and not all the dogs of hell could keep him from hisdaughter in her time of need, he said. Steve responded that Rachel needed this time before going to thefuneral parlor to get over as much of her initial shock as she could. He didn’t know about all the dogs ofhell, he said, but he knew one Swedish-American physician's assistant that had no intention of allowinganyone into the Creed home until Rachel had appeared in public, of her own volition. After the viewingin the afternoon, Steve said, he would bemore than happy to let the relatives’ support system take over. Until then, he wanted her left alone.The old man swore at him in Yiddish and banged the phone down at his end, breaking the connection.Steve waited to see if Goldman would indeed show up, but Goldman had apparently decided to wait. Bynoon Rachel did seem a little better. She was at least aware of the time frame she was in, and she hadgone out to the kitchen to see if there were sandwich makings or anything for after. People wouldprobably want to come back to the house after, wouldn’t they? she asked Steve.Steve nodded.There was no bologna or cold roast beef, but there was a Butterball turkey in the freezer, and she put iton the drainboard to thaw. Steve looked into the kitchen a few minutes later and saw her standing by thesink, looking fixedly at the turkey on the drainboard and weeping.“Rachel?”She looked toward Steve. “Gage really liked these. He especially liked the white meat. It was justoccurring to me that he was never going to eat another Butterball turkey.”Steve sent her upstairs to dress—the final test of her ability to cope, really—and when she came downwearing a simple black dress belted at the waist and carrying a small black clutch bag (an evening bag,file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20St...20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm (185 of 333)7/28/2005 9:21:49 PM