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Have to kill her. Can’t give her another chance. But not a headshot. In the gut. Then I’ll suck the stea—
Billy slammed his shoulder into Crow’s side. The gun jerked up and went off again, this time
putting a hole in the roof just above Abra’s head. Before Crow could bring it down again, huge hands
laid themselves over his. He had time to realize that his adversary had only been tapping a fraction of
the force at its command. Panic had unlocked a great, perhaps even unknowable, reserve. This time
when the gun turned toward him, Crow’s wrists snapped like bundles of twigs. For a moment he saw a
single black eye staring up at him, and there was time for half a thought:
(Rose I love y)
There was a brilliant flash of white, then darkness. Four seconds later, there was nothing left of
Crow Daddy but his clothes.
7
Steamhead Steve, Baba the Red, Bent Dick, and Greedy G were playing a desultory game of canasta in
the Bounder that Greedy and Dirty Phil shared when the shrieks began. All four of them had been on
edge—the whole True was on edge—and they dropped their cards immediately and ran for the door.
Everyone was emerging from their campers and RVs to see what the matter was, but they stopped
when they saw Rose the Hat standing in the brilliant yellow-white glare of the security lights
surrounding the Overlook Lodge. Her eyes were wild. She was pulling at her hair like an Old
Testament prophet in the throes of a violent vision.
“That fucking little bitch killed my Crow!” she shrieked. “I’ll kill her! I’LL KILL HER AND EAT
HER HEART!”
At last she sank to her knees, sobbing into her hands.
The True Knot stood, stunned. No one knew what to say or do. At last Silent Sarey went to her.
Rose shoved her violently away. Sarey landed on her back, got up, and returned to Rose without
hesitation. This time Rose looked up and saw her would-be comforter, a woman who had also lost
someone dear on this unbelievable night. She embraced Sarey, hugging so hard that the watching True
heard bones crack. But Sarey didn’t struggle, and after a few moments, the two women helped each
other to their feet. Rose looked from Silent Sarey to Big Mo, then to Heavy Mary and Token Charlie.
It was as if she had never seen any of them.
“Come on, Rosie,” Mo said. “You’ve had a shock. You need to lie d—”
“NO!”
She stepped away from Silent Sarey and clapped her hands to the sides of her face in a huge double
slap that knocked off her hat. She bent down to pick it up, and when she looked around at the
gathered True again, some sanity had come back into her eyes. She was thinking of Diesel Doug and
the crew she had sent to meet Daddy and the girl.
“I need to get hold of Deez. Tell him and Phil and Annie to turn around. We need to be together.
We need to take steam. A lot of it. Once we’re loaded, we’re going to get that bitch.”
They only looked at her, their faces worried and unsure. The sight of those frightened eyes and
stupid gaping mouths infuriated her.
“Do you doubt me?” Silent Sarey had crept back to her side. Rose pushed her away from her so hard
Sarey almost fell down again. “Whoever doubts me, let him step forward.”
“No one doubts you, Rose,” Steamhead Steve said, “but maybe we ought to let her alone.” He spoke
carefully, and couldn’t quite meet Rose’s eyes. “If Crow’s really gone, that’s five dead. We’ve never lost
five in one day. We’ve never even lost t—”