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file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Stephen%20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htmChurch went electric in his grip, struggling against him, spitting and clawing, but Louis held on anddepressed the plunger all the way. Only then did he let go. The cat leaped off the Chevette, hissing like ateakettle, yellow-green eyes wild and baleful. The needle and syringe dangled from its haunch as itleaped, then fell out and broke. Louis was indifferent. He had more of everything.The cat started for the road, then turned back toward the house, as if remembering something. It gothalfway there and then began to weave drunkenly. It made the steps, leaped up to the first one, then felloff. It lay on the bare patch at the foot of the porch steps on its side, breathing weakly.Louis glanced into the Chevette. If he had needed more confirmation than the stone that had replaced hisheart, he had it: Rachel’s purse on the seat, her scarf, and a clutch of plane tickets spilling out of a DeltaAirlines folder.When he turned around again to walk to the porch, Church’s side had ceased its rapid, flutterymovement. Church was dead. Again.Louis stepped over it and mounted the porch steps.“Gage?”It was cool in the front hail. Cool and dark. The single word fell into the silence like a stone down adeep-drilled well. Louis threw another.“Gage?”Nothing. Even the tick of the clock in the parlor had ceased. This morning there had been no one to windit.But there were tracks on the floor.Louis went into the living room. There was the smell of cigarettes, stale and long since burned out. Hesaw Jud’s chair by the window. It was pushed askew, as if he had gotten up suddenly. There was anashtray on the windowsill, and in it a neat roll of cigarette ash.Jud sat here watching. Watching for what? For me of course, watching for me to come home. Only hemissed me. Somehow he missed me.Louis glanced at the four beer cans lined up in a neat row. Not enough to put him to sleep, but maybe hehad gotten up to go to the bathroom. However it had been, it was just a little bit too good to have beenperfectly accidental, wasn’t it?file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20St...20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm (321 of 333)7/28/2005 9:21:50 PM