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file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Stephen%20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm“I used to pull im a lot,” Ellie said, weeping, “and he’d laugh and laugh. Then we’d go in and Mommywould fix us cocoa and say, ‘Put your boots away,’ and Gage would grab them all up and scream‘Boots! Boots!’ so loud it hurt your ears. Remember that, Mom?”Rachel nodded.“Yeah, I bet that was a good time, all right,” Jud said, handing the picture back. “And he may be deadnow, Ellie, but you can keep your memories of him.”“I’m going to,” she said, wiping at her face. “I loved Gage, Mr. Crandall.”“I know you did, dear.” He leaned in and kissed her, and whenhe withdrew, his eyes swept Louis and Rachel stonily. Rachel met his gaze, puzzled and a little hurt, notunderstanding. But Louis understood well enough: What are you doing for her? Jud’s eyes asked. Yourson is dead, but your daughter is not. What are you doing for her?Louis looked away. There was nothing he could do for her, not yet. She would have to swim in her griefas best she could. His thoughts were too full of his son.By evening a fresh rack of clouds had come in and a strong west wind had begun to blow. Louis put onhis light jacket, zipped it up, and took the Civic keys from the peg on the wall.“Where you going, Lou?” Rachel asked. She spoke without much interest. After supper she had beguncrying again, and although her weeping was gentle, she had seemed incapable of stopping. Louis hadforced her to take a Valium. Now she sat with the paper folded open to the barely started crosswordpuzzle. In the other room, Ellie sat silently watching “Little House on the Prairie” with Gage’s pictureon her lap.“I thought I’d pick up a pizza.”“Didn’t you get enough to eat earlier?”“I just didn’t seem hungry then,” he said, telling the truth and then adding a lie: “I am now.”42file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20St...20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm (225 of 333)7/28/2005 9:21:49 PM