"Containment breach!" "We've had a major containment breach!" "Oh, my God." "The security system appears to be malfunctioning!" "Seal the base, Campion!" "If the main gate's still open, shut it!" "Yes, sir." "People are dying like flies down here!" "Use the manual gate override, Campion!" "Do it now, do it now!" "Sally." "Baby Lavon." "Campion!" "This is a Code Red!" "We've lost one of the bugs!" "Repeat, we have lost one of the bugs!" "You have to close the gate!" "Sally!" "Charlie?" " We gotta get out of here." " What's going on?" "You know what." "Get the baby stuff, let's go!" " Oh, my God!" " Come on!" "Let's go!" " I'm coming!" " Let's go!" "Come on!" "Give me the baby!" "All right, let's go." "Slow down, Charlie." "Charlie, slow down!" "Charlie, you'll get us all killed!" "Sorry, baby." "Blackout!" "And now, here is the host ofBlackout, Bob Goen." "Coming up next, we got Kathi Kamen Goldmark..." "America 's new country sweetheart." "Sure wish she was my sweetheart." "Why don't you listen to me, old man?" "Been listening to you more than 20 years now, ain't I?" "All that wisdom and I ain't rich yet." "Yeah, well, if you learned some simple economics." "Old man Vic thinks simple economics... is some new breed of Irishman." "Ain't you ignorant!" "Licking the glue off the back of them food stamps... has finally done something to your brain." "Well, I got to feed your daughter, don't I?" "Shut off the pumps." "Look at him, Stu." "You don't think he did that to his face falling out of the car, do you?" "I doubt it." "Just take it easy now." "Calm down." "Hap!" "Phone rescue services in Braintree now." "Hurry up!" "Go on!" "Just take it easy, friend." "It's gonna be all right." "Just lie still now." "It's all right." "It's gonna be all right." "Ambulance will be here in 10 minutes." "My wife and my baby are sick." "They need help." "Help my wife and my baby." "They're sick, they need help!" "Okay, mister, they're fine." "You just want to sit right there." "The ambulance is on its way." "We didn't get out in time after all." "You just try to rest yourself, okay?" "Just take it easy now." "Gate malfunctioned, otherwise we would've died in the compound." "Project Blue." "Get his head over to the side, Stu." "He's gonna choke." "Get your head down." "Come on." "Like I told you!" "I ain't got time to throw a line over that dog's head!" "You mind me now!" "What's he got?" "You got any idea?" "Maybe it's food poisoning." "He's got California plates here." "Maybe he got some bad chow at a roadside stand or something." "I hope you're right." "I seen cholera back in '58 down near Nogales." "This is what it looks like." "Sally and the baby, they were sick since Salt Lake City... but I felt fine until this morning." "Are you sure Sally and my baby are okay?" "There was a man with us some of the time." "He was a dark man." "I was looking through the rear-view mirror... and I'd see him just sitting there grinning at me." "I thought I could outrun him... but you can't outrun the dark man." "Not now." "Hilly, put this on the wall." "Come." "General Starkey, sir!" "Close the door and drop the bull, Len." "Yes, sir." "It killed them in a hurry down there." "Telemetry suggests even the ones who got their respirators on... died within 12 minutes." "The rest of them were gone in five." "You believe that?" " Do I have a choice?" " No." "Apparently none of us do." "It's nothing but a souped-up version of the flu." "Herbert Denninger of the National Disease Control Center... the Pentagon's bright boy of the week, says once we find Campion... we'll know if it's actually going to jump to the outside." "He says it might mutate, but that won't help the people that catch it." " Listen, I have what might be something" " It'll just take them longer to die, that's all." "Most people are gonna think they've got the plain old non- lethal flu... right up to the very end." "And that's the biggest break we've had so far." "All because a gate malfunctioned, and some glorified TV repairman... got his family and ran for the hills." "I'd like to get him and string him up by" "We found him." "We located Campion." "He crash-landed at a gas station on the outskirts... of a one-stoplight town in east Texas." "He made it halfway across the country?" " How'd he do that?" " I don't know." "The important thing is, right now, we've got a shot at containing this." " Is he dead or alive?" " He's dead." "Denninger says this stuff has a communicability level... of over 99%." "Do you understand what that means?" "Any chance we had of containing it went by the boards... when Campion bought his first takeout hamburger." "We can't think that way, Billy." "Yeah, you're right." "Of course you are." " What about the rest of his family?" " They're dead, sir." " Contact with townspeople was minimal." " That doesn't matter." "We gotta shut that town down, lock it up... dig a moat around it." "That operation's already on the launching pad, sir." " What kind of coverage you come up with?" " Anthrax." "New strain." "Yeah, it's a new one, all right." "It's real new." "It's very good at its job, too." "Too good." " It's bad, General, but it could be worse." " How's that?" "What's the name of this town?" "Arnette." "Arnette, Texas." "Cold got you down?" "Chills, fever?" "Sounds like you need a buddy!" "Flu Buddy!" "Fast-acting Flu Buddy, available at pharmacies everywhere." "Flu Buddy!" "And now let's get back to the Lone Star matinee movie." "State Patrol, Hap." "Looks like your cousin Joe" " Bob." "Hey, Joe-Bob." "Want me to fill her up for you?" "No, sir, I come by on other business." "Was that old geezer here last night when that guy took out your pumps?" "Vic?" "He's here just about every night." " Maybe he ought to hear this, too." " Hear what?" "There's strangers crawling all over Braintree." "Supposed to be U.S. Health Service guys... but they came in a C-5A transport plane, and they look like regular Army to me." "Then there's been three more big transport planes... land over Starland in Arkansas since noon." "It was cholera." "I knew it was." "I don't know nothing about that." "I'll tell you one thing, though." "If the Feds are thinking about a quarantine... then you might have a little bit more to worry about than cholera." "I just thought you ought to know what's stirring in the weeds, Hap." "If any of them other boys from last night come by... you ought to pass the word along to them." "Just don't mention my name." "You ought take care of that, old-timer." "Them summer colds are the worst." "What if it ain't a cold?" "What if I got whatever he had?" "That guy last night?" "It's probably just the sniffles, that's all." "Maybe I ought to close up the station for the rest of the day." "Call the others and see how they're feeling." "Might not be a bad idea." "Dang!" "This is Unit 16 to base." "I'm seeing a lot of Army traffic on State 17... westbound in the direction of Arnette." "You heard anything about that?" "Bye." "Please advise if you've been anywhere near Arnette today." "Bye." "Negative, base." "I've been over by the Arkansas state line all day." "Well, that's fine then." "Suggest you let the Army mind their business... and you mind yours, Unit 16." "Bye." "You don't have to be so grouchy about it, Cynthia!" "Unit 16, over and out." "All right, let's move it out." "Come on, toss it!" "Shoot it!" "Hold it right there, now!" "I can't leave my store." "Hey, what right have you got to push me around?" "Stuart Richard Redman, sir." "He was at the station." "Sounds like you're having a busy day." "Dr. Herbert Denninger, Mr. Redman." "Will you come with us?" "You want to get your hand off my arm, hoss?" "He was in direct contact with Campion." " Put him in the truck." "If he resists..." " I ain't gonna resist." "Country don't mean dumb." "I ain't going!" "I ain't!" "Get your hands off her!" "Stay where you are, Mr. Redman." "That's none of your affair." "Stu, what's happening?" "They want to take us to Vermont!" "Mr. Redman, I insist you get into the truck right now, or..." "Or what?" "You'll shoot me?" "That don't scare me much, hoss." "If we got what that guy Campion had, we're dead already." "Right?" "Well, our flying time today will be three hours and forty minutes... and Uncle Sam is buying all the drinks." "What the hell's wrong with us?" " Is it cholera?" " Absolutely not." "You'll be getting all the details..." "When?" "Shortly after you land." "I ain't been this scared since the Mekong Delta in '69." "No, that ain't true." "I never been this scared." "It's just the ones that was there when Campion croaked, ain't it?" "Us, our families, the people we been around since." "Right now, yeah." "What do you mean, right now?" "Okay, people, saddle up." "Let's go!" "You're on Uncle Sam's time now." "Move it." "Move them out!" "Arnette's been cancelled." " Serious?" " What do you think?" "I don't know." "I think we're in big trouble." "And now, by request from Bay Ridge..." "Larry Underwood and Baby Can You Dig Your Man." "Well, baby, can you?" "Ma!" "You look beautiful." "Aren't you glad to see me?" "Should I be, Larry?" "Well, I can be happy for the both of us if I have to be." "Come on inside, Larry, before the neighbors get an eyeful." "So you know the record cracked the top 50?" " You heard it, right?" " Of course I have." "You sound black." "That brown sound sure do get around!" "Right." "So I'm in L.A... and all of a sudden, everyone's my friend." "And everyone's got a "can't miss" deal." "So I had to get out of there for a little while." "Take a little time off." "How's your back, Ma?" "Pains me some, but I got my pills." "What kind of trouble are you in, Larry?" "Maybe I overspent my advance a little." "I didn't know the record company was gonna be so cheap." "It's no big deal... except I borrowed a little money." "And not from any bank, or you wouldn't be here, right?" "Are the leg-breakers any different on the West Coast than they are here?" "Do they give you a Perrier and Valium before they start hurting you?" "You're just like your father." " I'm not just like Pop!" " You sound pissed off." " I am pissed off, Ma!" " Good." "It's good to know that there's still a real person in there someplace." "How deep a hole are you in?" "And don't lie." "I've seen your car." "About $40,000." "Jesus wept." "But the record's number 21 this week, Ma, with a bullet." "The album hasn't hit the Hot 100 yet, but it will." "$40,000 is nothing." "Nothing." "I'm not gonna let them make me a one-hit wonder, either." "Your son's here to stick around." "I'm going to be famous, Ma." "Even better, I'm going to be rich." "The bed's still in your old room." "I'll make it up, but then I have to go to work." " I'm gonna be late as it is." " All right." "Thanks." "Thanks, Ma." "Welcome home, Larry." "This is interesting." "Now watch this." "It's so damn quick." "The only two left from the gas station are Bruett and Redman, correct?" "Yes." "Bruett's critical and sinking fast... which leaves only Redman, who's not even sick." "Now how in God's name is that possible?" "I don't know, but we're going to find out." "We have to find out." "And soon." "We will." "In other news..." "U.S. Government health officials claim there's nothing strange... in their decision to quarantine a small east Texas town... where a new strain of what's believed to be swine flu... has got half the population in bed... and the other half down with the sniffles." "At the Vermont Center..." "Hello, Mr. Goldsmith!" " Hello, Harold!" " Is Fran around?" "She's in the kitchen, I think." " Hi, Fran." " Hi, Harold." " Thanks, Daddy." " Don't mention it, sweetheart." " I brought you something." " You did?" "Is that you?" "Of course, Everleafis just a small literary magazine." "Small but prestigious." "And they only pay in contributors' copies." "Look, Daddy, we know a published writer." "How about that!" "My poem is called "The Crushed Rose." I marked it for you." "I actually sent in three, but, of course, their space is very limited." "Harold, I'm going to read this just as soon as I get a chance." "Thanks." "In the meantime, congratulations." "Thank you." "I had another reason for stopping by, as well." "I was wondering if you would care to accompany me... to the Redwood Cinema this Friday in Boothbay." "They're having a Bergman festival." "I've always found Cries and Whispers to be especially moving." "You see, Amy and I already decided to go to an R.E.M. concert in Portland." "Sorry." "Well, maybe some other time." "I'm sure you'll find somebody to go with." "You know, maybe somebody even your own age." "I mean..." "I didn't mean that." "Hey, no, don't worry about it." "It's okay." "I understand, really." " I hope you enjoy the poem..." " I will-- ...and the rest of the magazine." "Why don't you stay and have some iced tea or something?" "No, thanks." "I'm actually in sort of a hurry." "I really handled that great, didn't I?" "Considering that Harold Lauder's had a crush on you since he was 9 years old... yeah, I think you did okay." "Let me see that." ""I have stridden the fuming way Of sun-hammered tracks" ""And savage hobo jungles"" "Stop!" "Frannie?" " Are you okay?" " Yeah." "I'm the object of a young poet's unrequited love." "What else could a girl want?" "You and Jess haven't had a fight?" "I haven't seen much of him this summer." "Actually, Jess and I have decided to spend some time apart." "It's like that, is it?" "Yeah, just like that." "Come here." "Give your old man a hug." " What about you?" "How are you doing?" " I'm fine." "I woke up this morning missing your mother, so I came out here." "After seven years... there's a lot of places in the house where she ain't... but this ain't one of them." "Sometimes when I'm out here yanking weeds, I can almost see her." "I love you, Daddy." "I love you, too." "Although I've resigned myself to losing you to Harold Lauder someday." "No!" "You okay?" "And how are you today, Mr. Redman?" "We're just going to do a few routine tests." " If I could have your arm..." " No, I won't be doing any more tests." "It's just your blood pressure." "Doctor's orders." "No, I want to talk to a doctor." "I want to talk to a doctor in person." "I'm sure that you'll be talking to a doctor very soon." "Yeah, I'm sure I will, too." "No more tests!" " I'm sick of it!" " Mr. Redman, if" "I think you'd better get in there, don't you?" "Say, if it isn't the man with the little clipboard and the armed escort." "No, we don't shake hands here." "Just a precaution." "A precaution." "Patty Greer says you've given her quite a bit of trouble." " She's quite upset." " That makes two of us." "Being hijacked by some government sons of bitches in space suits... does that to me every time." "If you don't want to see me rip a hole in that... before you can get out of here, you better give me a little information." " You tell me why I'm not sick." " Mr. Redman, I hardly think..." " Talk to me, damn it!" " I'm sorry, but you..." "Mr. Redman, be reasonable." "Just get out of here, you little weasel." "You send me someone who'll give me some answers." "I don't think you quite appreciate your position." "You're wrong about that." "I do." "Go on." "Get out." "Here he comes." " We won't really hurt him, will we, Ray?" " Quiet down." "Get him!" "What the hell are you waiting for?" "Next time I yell, friend, you're gonna pay attention." "I guarantee it." "Hold him!" "Hold the sucker!" "Hold him." "I'm gonna mess him up." "How come he don't say nothing?" "By the time I finish with him, he'll be singing..." "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." "Sucker almost ruined my favorite shirt." "I'm gonna mess him up." " Stop it, Ray!" "You're killing him!" " Ray, car!" " No!" " Heads up, sucker!" "I can hear!" "I can talk!" "I can hear." "I can talk." "I know, Nick." "Praise God." "How did you know my name?" "Come to me in a dream, I reckon." "Is this a dream?" "Mayhap it is, and mayhap it ain't." "Who are you, ma'am?" "Abagail Freemantle." "But folks around these parts just call me Mother Abagail." "I'm 106 years old and I still make my own bread." "I been living right here in Hemingford Home, Nebraska, all my life." "You come see me, Nick." "You and all your friends." "You got to hurry, though." "There's a storm coming." "His storm." "Some people have even taken to wearing protection on the streets." " Why are you wearing this mask, sir?" " I don't know." "Just feel safer." "Okay." "Thank you." "The folks at the Atlanta Disease Control Center told me... that these masks wouldn't stop '"a flu germ with a hangover. '"" " Gin." " So I guess we can thank our lucky stars... that this outbreak of superflu is just another urban..." "I don't know about all those people down in Texas... but you sure sound like you got a dose of the flu, Johnny." " You better let me take a listen." " Forget that." "Come on." "You know how hot it makes me when you take your shirt off." "When I was a boy, we caught ourselves a mountain lion back up in the hills." "We shot it and dragged it back to town." "What was left of that critter when we got home... was the sorriest-looking sight I've ever seen." "You're the second sorriest, boy." "I'm gonna get somebody to take his shirt off before I go home tonight." "It's okay, son." "I'm a doctor." "I'm also the guy who damn near ran you over." "You got a name, babalugah?" "What the hell?" "It means that he's deaf and dumb." "That hurt?" "If you're deaf and dumb... how the hell am I gonna to find out what happened to you tonight?" "Can you read lips, babalugah?" "Thank God for small favors." "Tell me this... would you know the three boys that jobbed you if you seen them again?" "What?" "One of them had a ring like that?" "Man!" "That's a fraternity ring, my silent friend." "And the only two people around here who have them... are our esteemed sheriff and Ray Booth, our town bad boy." "The Sheriff here married Ray's baby sister." "Janey's gonna just love this." "Welcome to Shoyo, Mr. Andros." "It's a veritable hotbed of Southern hospitality." "Get away from me." "I don't know how many different ways I can say this." "This so-called superflu does not exist." "Then what is it?" "Why is everybody talking about it?" "I don't know why everybody's talking about it... or where the rumors are coming from." "It must be a figment of the press's imagination." "I don't know why I'm here answering questions." "I don't have the answers because there's no such thing..." "Good afternoon, Mr. Redman." "My name is Deitz." "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine." "Meet Geraldo." "Geraldo?" "Now, the virus your fellow townspeople contracted... passes easily from human to guinea pig and vice versa, presumably." "But Geraldo has been breathing your air via convector for the last three days... and Geraldo is fine and frisky, as you see." "I'd call that rather comforting, wouldn't you?" " I see you're not taking any chances." " That's not in my contract." "However, it does appear... that there's absolutely nothing wrong with you, Mr. Redman... or may I call you Stu?" "Just don't call me Geraldo." "I like that." "Now look here, Stu... let's try to get through this as painlessly as possible, what do you say?" "Okay, here's number one:" "The testing schedule we began earlier this week is going to resume... with your cooperation or without it." "We got a hell of a mess on our hands here, thanks to that imbecile Campion." "So I don't want you to get the idea you're a volunteer." "You've been drafted." " What about the folks I came in with?" " From Arnette?" "All dead." "Which is why we can't afford to" "What did you do?" "What did you people do?" "Stu, please." "No!" "Stand clear!" "All right, now you listen up..." "I'm not responsible for you being here... or for the dead people in your hometown." "Neither is Denninger, or the nurses who come in to take your blood pressure." " Then who is?" " No one." "Everyone." "God." "Who knows." "All you have to do is resign yourself to a few more pokes and pricks." "What if I..." " Evacuate!" " Deitz, calm down." "I was just faking." "Why?" "Why would you do a thing like that?" "You talk about this thing in here like you were outside of it." "I just wanted you to get a little taste of what it's like on the inside." "How do you like it?" "You stupid son of a bitch." "Get the hell out of here." "Don't forget your damn guinea pig." "Reports of the supposedly lethal flu epidemic continue to spread." "Many downtown shopping areas in southern Florida... are virtually empty this morning... and the flu rumor actually seems to be gaining credence... despite statements from health officials in Atlanta and Vermont." "In Vermont, Dr. Herbert Denninger said, '"Let me put it in five simple words." "'"Captain Trips does not exist. '"" "How's the sexiest bartender in L.A.?" "Larry?" "Is that you?" "Larry?" "Is that you?" "Yeah, Arlene, listen." "Yeah, Arlene, listen." "Yeah, Arlene, listen." "You better get this first." "Wayne Stukey called." "He said your album's going up nine spots this week... your single's third on the Billboards and you're number one on VH1." "Sounds to me like you might just be king of the world." "What's it sound like to you?" "Victory!" "Arlene, I love you!" "Don't I wish." "Listen, I'm gonna try and get... the afternoon flight back." "So you put on your sexiest number." "I'm gonna take you out to dinner." "Then I'll take you out dancing, then maybe I'll just take you." "You might want to consider delaying your trip back a few days." "Why?" "What's the problem?" "Things are weird." "People are really scared about this Captain Trips thing." "Yeah, radio here says it's just bull." "The radio here says the hospitals are filling up with sick people... and some of them are dying." "What, people are dying of the flu?" "There's a lot of soldiers around." "Suddenly L.A. is a really creepy place to be, Larry." "Maybe I'll stick around New York a couple of days then." "Just don't forget what you promised when you get back." "Dinner, dancing, and all the paparazzi I can smile at." "Yeah, you got it." " Bye." " Bye." " Sorry." "I'm sorry, man." " The Rat Man forgive you this time." "Bring out your dead!" "He's coming for you, Larry!" "The man with no face." "Bring out your dead!" "Turn that up." "Give me that." "It's a dead soldier." "Dead company." " All-star bowling." " Come on, Poke!" " You know what time it is?" " What time is it?" " Time to make a cash withdrawal!" " I heard that." "And if anybody, I mean anybody, says anything... or does anything to stop us..." " We're gonna Pokerize them." " That's right." "Damn straight." " If we're gonna do this, do it fast." " I know what you mean, jellybean." "All right!" "Hold still and won't nobody get hurt." "That's all, folks!" "Look out, Poke!" "You see it, Lloyd?" "That old bugger tried to shoot me!" "Hold it!" "Hands up!" "Deputy Sheriff Owen Kinsolving, officers." "Coming out." "Who's he?" "What's he doing there?" "You got this coming out the door." "That's enough!" "That's enough, Owen!" "Bull crap!" "Pop Jones..." "Betty Diamond, both dead." "It ain't never gonna be enough." "We have a rather large problem in Wyoming, sir." "What large problem is that, Len?" "A news team got out of Pine Bluff with some potentially damaging videotape, sir." "Flu victims?" "Body dumps?" "A little of both." "And our ops, I'm told." " We can't have that." " No, sir, I know." "Showing footage like that would not be in the national interest." "Absolutely not, sir." "Do we know where these newspeople, these rabble-rousers are now?" "Yes, sir, we do." "Get that videotape, Len." "Any means necessary." "Make it a priority." "Yes, sir." "Any means necessary." " Everybody out of the van!" " Mike, you getting all this?" " I don't like the way this looks." "Be careful." " Come on!" "Out right now!" "Let's go!" "You'll have to surrender the camera that gentleman's holding... and any tape you may have already shot." "Can you tell us why, Major?" "You don't seem to understand the situation here." "Martial law has been declared." "We don't have to put up with you and your pinko friends anymore!" "Are you getting all this?" " Can we have a comment" " Get him!" " Get the driver!" " Stop!" " In the car!" " No!" "Cut the power!" "Come." "Thank you." "It looks like our problem in Wyoming has been solved." "It doesn't change the basic fact that our goose is pretty well cooked." ""Things fall apart The center does not hold"" "A man named Yeats said that." "I didn't understand that poem in college, Len." "But I must be getting smarter in my old age... because I understand it now." "And one other line from that poem:" ""What rough beast" ""lts hour come round at last" ""Slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?"" "I think that beast might be on its way, Len." "What do you think?" "Is that Hungarian goulash?" "I don't know." "It might be, sir." "Yeats was right." "Things fall apart." "Who died and made you God?" "You don't think we're gonna eat that, do you, dummy?" "You could have poisoned it, you blue-eyed pretty boy." "I'm gonna mess up your hair, pretty boy!" "I'm gonna ride you like a lame bronc." "You're mine, sucker!" "Sorry, guy." "I can't." "Sick." "We're not gonna eat it, dummy." "None of us!" "We're on a hunger strike." "I'm awful hungry, Ray." "You son of a..." "Hey, dummy, you want a drink?" "I'm on a hunger strike." "I'm on a hunger strike until you let me out of here!" "Now you come on over here 'cause I'm not done with you yet." "Has there been much of that foolishness?" "Sorry." "John and his wife are dead." "A lot of people in Shoyo are dead... and a lot more are going to die." "In fact, you and I may be the last two healthy people in western Arkansas." " What's he talking about?" " Shut up!" "Our government is still denying everything... but the radio says the hospitals are filling up... and the Army's burning bodies in waste treatment facilities." "The ultimate recycling program." "Doc, you gotta let me out of here." "They're both sick." "Keeping me in here with them is cruel and unusual punishment." "I've got a little cabin up in the hills." "I'm gonna try to wait this out." "And so I was thinking..." "My responsibility as a doctor?" "Don't make me laugh." "I took an oath to treat my patients, not die with them." "You could come with me if you want." "John got sick and made you responsible for them?" "Yeah." "But that doesn't mean you can't let them out now that he's gone." "Ray, if he lets you out, are you gonna mess with him?" "No, I swear." "Me neither." "They'll leave you alone." "I got something for you, mutie." "Been saving it up, you might say." "Things have changed, Ray." "You might do well to remember that." "You might see me again, mutie." "So, what do you say?" "Wanna come upcountry with me?" "God, you're nuts." "He's as good as dead." "Water, please." "Thirsty..." "Although city and government spokespersons vehemently deny it... reliable sources report to News Radio... that troops opened fire earlier today... on unarmed pedestrians attempting to flee New York... by way of the Lincoln Tunnel." "As many as 60 persons may have been killed, with hundreds wounded." "Although travel to some of the outer boroughs is still possible..." "News Radio advises you to stay off the streets." "Mom?" "I'm so hot." "You're gonna be fine." "Let's just put you to bed." "Larry, go find your father." "He's in the bar." " He's in the bar with that photographer." " Okay, Ma." "Take a little sip of this." "Okay, Mom." "Just take a little baby swallow." "Okay, there you go." "Larry, watch out for him." "The dark man." "Coming for you." "What did you say, Ma?" "How can a hospital phone be busy?" "Get back, sit back." "Okay." "You're gonna be fine." "Everything's gonna be okay." "You're gonna be okay." "Bring out your dead!" "He's coming!" "Oh, God." "No!" "You were right, Billy." "The center doesn't hold." "It sure doesn't." "How's it going, mutie?" "What's shaking?" "You're gonna be in hell for 30 seconds before you even know you're dead." "None of this happened till you came along." "I'm gonna kill you, mutie!" "Bring out your dead!" "The monster's coming." "He's coming." "Bring out your dead!" "Here you go, Dad." "Here's some toast and some Jewish penicillin for you." " Chicken soup to the great unwashed." " That looks good, darling." " How are you feeling?" " Better, quite a bit." "I think I might be beating it." "That's good, because I still can't reach Dr. Albertson... and the Rent-a-Doc in Wells is not picking up the phone." "I just keep getting a recording." "You know, this flu is everywhere." "It's really scary." " You look okay." " I feel okay." "Great, in fact." "Turn on the radio, will you?" "It's time for Rae Flowers." " Not that sarcastic little woman." " I like her." "Hello there." "This is Rae Flowers on Speak Your Piece." "I guess this morning there's only one topic of conversation." "You can call it the superflu or by its West Coast name, Captain Trips... but it means the same thing either way." "There have been horror stories about the Army clamping down on everything..." "The Army?" "Just be patient with me, and remember I'm running the show all by myself." "Everyone else called in sick." "The numbers are the same as always, though: 555-TALK and 555-CHAT." "So let's go." "Hello there, this is Rae Flowers and it's time to speak your piece." "I'm calling from Portsmouth, Rae." " What's your name, Portsmouth?" " Leonora." "Listen, Rae..." "I want everyone to know that there are soldiers burning bodies... across the state line in Kittery." "Also, my little girl died this morning." "I guess she's with Jesus now." " I'm sorry as hell, Leonora." " I think the soldiers did it." "I think they made a bug that's killing people." "That wouldn't be very American, would it?" "No, I guess not." "Of course, that's never stopped the real patriots among us, has it?" " You try to hang in there." " I'm trying, Rae... but have you ever smelled bodies on fire?" " I can't say that I have." " It's awful, Rae." "It's just..." "You just try to hang in there, hon." "This is Rae Flowers." "You're on the air and it's time to speak your piece." "First of all, I just want to tell you that I love your show." "You say you saw these Gls gunning down unarmed civilians?" "Open in the name of the United States government." "Portland, it looks like the Marines have landed..." " and they don't look too happy." " This is a joke, right?" " This has got to be a joke." " I really don't think so, Frannie." " Hi there, you're on the air." " Rae, you all right?" "To tell you the truth, it doesn't look good right now." "Several soldiers have just broken in to the studio." "They're fully armed... and they're dressed in some kind of protective clothing." "They're wearing respirators on their faces..." "Shut it down!" "Bluto, you ever heard of a little number called freedom of speech?" "Bill of Rights?" "Any of that ring a bell?" "Folks, I've been ordered by my uninvited fascist guests to shut down..." " and I've refused." " All right, that's enough!" "Oh, my God!" "Daddy, what's happening?" "I don't know, honey." "He's closer now!" "The hard case!" "The dark man!" "He's coming!" "Rub-a-dub-dub." "Thanks for the grub." "He's here!" "The monster's here!" "The dark man's here!" "Hello there, East Texas." "What kept you?" "I was lost in the corn." "Then I heard the guitar." "It sounds so sweet." "I ain't been able to make a decent F-chord in 20 years... but thank you kindly." "Who are you?" "Where is this?" "I'm Abagail Freemantle, and this is Hemingford Home." "Those folks who've got you won't leave you to live much longer." "You know that, don't you?" "I reckon maybe I do." "The beast is loose in the streets of Bethlehem." " The rats are in the corn." " I don't follow you, ma'am." "Ma'am?" "Where are you?" "Folks round these parts just call me Mother Abagail, East Texas." "Well, how are we feeling?" "Fine." "Always fine." "Just think, all the tests we ran on you... and we never found a single immunity vector." "Not one." "I'm curious." "How would you explain it?" "Have you been touched by God?" "What have you got behind your back?" " I see." " Do you?" " I think I do, yeah." " I wonder." "Where's your buddy Denninger?" "He's dead." "They're all dead." "Everyone except for me and thee." "And you're here to take care of me?" "Is that it?" "Hole in one." "Why?" "Because I've decided a piece of chicken-fried crap like you... doesn't deserve to live." "Not with so many good men dying." "Those good men caused this mess." "Come down and eat chicken with me, beautiful." "It's so dark." "You come and see me, Stu." "You and all your friends." "We got to get started." "Time's short." "Abagail Freemantle." "Hemingford Home." "You come see me." "You and all your friends." "English" "I love you, Daddy." "Frannie loves you." "Fran?" "Mr. Goldsmith?" "Hello?" "I'm here, Harold." "Come in." "Here." "It's my father." "I'm going to bury him in his garden." "That's his favorite place." "I think he'll be able to rest there." "I really do." "But I'm so hot and tired." "Could you please help me?" "Of course." "Here you go." "It's a little warm, but it's not too bad." "That's okay." "I like warm lemonade." "Harold, it's so strange." "It doesn't even seem like the place I grew up in." "It seems like a different planet." "Yeah, I know what you mean." "I've always hated it here." "All I ever wanted was to escape." "All those guys who used to give me wedgies in gym class... all the girls who used to laugh at the way I walked... they're all gone." "And I want them back." "Nuts." "For two people from the same town... two people who know each other... to both be immune to something this big:" "It's like winning the Megabucks lottery." " It has to mean something." " Well, there's gotta be other people." "We just gotta figure out how to find them, don't you think?" " We have to go to Stovington." " Where?" "Stovington, Vermont." "There's a government communicable disease center there." "If anyone's still alive and trying to find a cure for the flu, that's where they'd be." " lmmune cases as well." " Harold, you're a genius." "That's a great idea." "Of course, Stovington might be deserted, too." "Roads are jammed." " Can you ride a motorcycle?" " Yeah." "Jess taught me." "Yeah, that's your boyfriend." "Well, not anymore." "Do you think that maybe..." " you know, maybe I could be..." " Harold, we're always gonna be friends." " Oh, I forgot." " What?" "It's a surprise." "Wait right here." "I found it in the garage when I was looking for canvas." "It runs on batteries." "I thought maybe it would cheer me up." "Cheer us both up." "Okay, what do you want to hear?" "Hello?" "Is anybody here?" "Giddyup, boy." "Hello?" "Is anybody there?" "Is anybody anywhere?" "Over here!" "Where?" "Keep shouting." "I don't believe I need to." " You're not gonna shoot me, are you?" " Are you dangerous?" "I don't know." "No, I'm not dangerous." "I can smell your perfume." "I'm glad to see you, too." "Except for the birds, we may be the only living creatures in this entire city." "Don't you believe it... 'cause there are a lot of dangerous people out there." "Some of them are every bit as healthy as we are." "So my gun might not be such a bad idea?" "No." "You know something?" "I've seen this guy before... in Times Square, just before everything went to hell." "Screaming about monsters." "Now he said they were coming." "He was right." " How rare did you want it?" " Just run it through a warm room." "You know, I was hoping you'd say that." " Ta-da." " Thank you." "This one's barely breathing." "This one's barely breathing." "I think I lost my appetite." " We gotta get out of here." " I beg your pardon?" "I mean, we gotta get out of the city." "I mean, it's not just the odds of getting shot." "Do you have any idea what it's going to smell like in two weeks?" "Five million people rotting in the July sun." "What is that?" "Vitamin C." "Yeah, I'm sorry." "It's none of my business." "Apology accepted." "Mostly because I think you're right." "The Big Apple is baked." "Do you really want me to go with you, Larry?" "Yeah." "You betcha." "Good." "When?" "I'd say the sooner the better." "Where?" "We go west." "Towards Nebraska." "There's a town called Hemingford Home." "Nebraska?" "Why Nebraska?" "I've been having these dreams about it." "An old black woman who calls herself Mother Abagail." "The town's real enough." "I checked the road atlas." "You mean, you're having visions of an old black woman?" "You haven't had dreams like that?" "No, I don't dream." "I never dream." "Wait." "Nadine." "We should get out of this graveyard." "How I love to love Nadine." "Hey, can anybody hear me?" "Let me out!" "Let me out of here!" "You have to." "I'm gonna starve if you don't." "I don't want to starve to death." "Starve." "Just in case." "Emergency supplies." "Anybody!" "Bombs away!" "Hey, Trash!" "What'd old lady Semple say when you torched her pension check?" " Who's there?" " People who play with fire wet the bed." "Gonna stick you in the nuthatch up in Terre Haute, Trash." "Stick you in the nuthatch and give you a few thousand shock treatments." "Shut up!" "Keep him away from me!" "Hey, Trash, why didn't you burn up the school?" "No one's there, Trash." "They're all dead." "They can't hurt you anymore." "Can't hurt me?" " Can't tease you anymore." " Can't tease me." "Not anymore." "My life for you." "There." "Go, Trashy." "Run." "Now!" "My life for you!" "Trashcan Man." "What?" "Where are you?" "Everywhere." "I will place you high in my councils, Trash... and I will set you to burn." "My life for you." "You were right, Lord." "Those prunes did the trick." "But my, don't they taste nasty." ""Once in every generation..." ""the plague shall fall among them."" "That's what it says in the Book." "Seems like you maybe went a little too far this time..." "Rats in the corn, Lord." "And the rats are his, ain't they?" "Welladay." "I feel them coming in my direction." "Some of them will be going on to him... won't they?" "I hear you, Lord, and I'm in the way of doing your will." "But I don't much like it." "Hundred and six years old." "Seems a mite long in the tooth... to be leading the children of Israel out of Egypt." "Or the children of America into Colorado." "Doctor said cut out the coffee." "But I just have only one cup a day." "Two cups a day." "Besides, he's dead and I'm alive." "I do what you say, Lord." "Don't I always?" "I do what you say, Lord." "Don't I always?" "But even your own son prayed... that the cup be taken from his lips, and I'm praying the same thing." "Probably get about the same answer, too." "I got the Lord to protect me!" "I ain't scared of the likes of you!" "I think you lie, old woman." "Get thee hence, low spirit!" "Turn them away if they come, Mother." "Take my advice." "Turn them away." "Your blood is in my fists, Mother." "Dear Lord, take this evil vision from my sight." "If it's your will to bring them on, God... better do it before I lose my guts." "Amen." " Anybody home?" " Help me!" "I'm down here!" "Please help me!" "You sound pretty hungry, rabbit." "Could you let me out of here, mister?" "I'll do anything you want." "You poor guy." "You look like kaka." " Tell me something, Lloyd." " How do you know my name?" "Lucky guess." "How'd you stay alive so long?" "I saw it coming down and I saved up some food." "That's how." "Brer Rat." "How'd he taste?" "Poke should be here, not me." "Everything was Poke's idea." "And you got stuck with nothing to eat but rat tartare." "Bad luck." "Worst damn luck I ever heard of." "But it could just be that your luck's on the change, Lloyd." "Look here." "My God." "Wait a minute, son." "You ain't seen nothing yet." "Not bad, huh?" "I never even introduced myself, did I?" "Pleased to meet you, Lloyd." "Hope you guessed my name." "Nothing." "Just a little classical reference." "Actually, my name's Flagg." "Randall Flagg." "Before I open up this cell door... and take you out for a couple of cheeseburgers and fries..." "I think we ought to have ourselves a little understanding." "I'm going to make you my foreman, Lloyd." "I'm gonna slip the keys to the kingdom into your hand." "I pick you." "I'm gonna slip the keys to the kingdom into your hand." "I pick you." "Do you understand that?" "I pick you." "Anyone ever done that for you in your whole miserable life?" "Not even Poke." "We just, you know, sort of fell together." "After that, I just kind of got left here." ""Kind of got left here."" "That's one way of putting it, I suppose." "Would you like to get back at those people who'd leave a man to die in a jail like..." "Well, like him?" " You bet I would." " Of course you would." "But I've got a feeling you're somebody special." "A real find." "Not exactly a quiz kid... but you are the first." "I'm even going to put you ahead of Trashcan Man." " Who?" " Never mind." "I need your word that we're gonna stick together." "No backstabbing, no falling asleep on the watch." "Just you and me, Lloyd." "Win or lose, stand or fall." "You give me your promise, I give you the key." "I promise." "You're free, Lloyd." "Come on out." "Is that mine?" " Shall we bite some chow, man?" " Bite some chow, yes, you bet." "There's a lot to do." "We have to work fast." " But we can do it, can't we, Lloyd?" " Yes." "You bet." "You and me, soldier." "You and me!" "Larry, I can't do it." "Sure you can." " I'll be with you." " No." "You don't understand." "I can't do it." "Dark, confined places." "I can't do it." "I'll go crazy." " That's great." " I'm sorry." "That's just great, Nadine." "Why you didn't tell me this before we got 60 or so blocks... from the George Washington Bridge is beyond me." "Because I thought I could do it." "Why me?" "And you've had plenty of those, thank you very much." " Give that back." " No, ma'am." "I'm not going to stand here in the middle of five million dead people... and watch you commit suicide." "No!" "Damn you." " Where are you going?" " Going to the George Washington Bridge." "By myself." "I don't need this prima donna act, missy." "I really don't." "You have fun getting raped and murdered back on Seventh Avenue, sweetheart." "Come on back." "This is crazy." "I'm sorry, okay?" "If it has to be the bridge, that's fine." "Just don't do it alone." "The hell with you." "I'm going in now!" "Don't look at them, stupid." "Larry." "Who's there?" "ldentify yourself!" "You better start talking before I start shooting here!" "Larry, please stop shooting!" "Nadine, you stay where you are, do you hear me?" "Are you hurt?" "Did I shoot you?" "No, but I felt the wind..." "One came by so close I felt the wind of it... and the tile chips on my face." "I think I cut my face" "God, I'm so sorry." " It's okay." " I'm sorry." "Are you still mad about the pills?" " No." " 'Cause I won't take the pills, Larry." "It's okay." "Oh, dear God." "I tell you..." "Jersey never smelled so good." "I don't think you're singing that just right." "Take it easy." "It's okay, I'm a friend." "Well, I certainly hope so." "Just think of it as home defense while on the road." "All right, I certainly will." " Glen Bateman at your service." " Stu Redman." "Originally from east Texas." "Kojak, say hello to Stu Redman." "He's such a miserable dog." "Don't be too hard on him." "He's the first dog I've seen in... well, since the third week of June." "Yeah." "The superflu took most of the dogs right along with their idiot masters." "Most unfair." "It might not be a bad idea to paint with your glasses on." "Not when you paint like I do." "I can't do this, Larry." "I just..." "Not now." "You can." "Sure you can." "You can do anything." "No, I can't." "I want you." " I know, but" " Do you want me?" "I know you do." "So what's the problem?" "I just... need more time." "It's the dreams?" " I told you, I don't dream." " Come on, Nadine." "I had the same dreams." "I don't know anything about that." "I just..." "I just need more time." "Yeah, sure." "Time I got." "Thank you." "Folks round these parts just call me Mother Abagail." "You'll be coming along to see me, won't you, Larry?" "Yeah." "Hemingford Home... or Boulder." "One place or the other." "So cold." "No, he's warm." "Not you." "But I'm the one you belong to, Nadine." " You are the promised one." " Why me?" "Who promised?" "That doesn't matter." "Nadine." "My love." "As long as you hide your mind from the old woman, you'll be fine." " When you come to me, we'll be married." " Married." "But I want you to leave the one you're traveling with." "Tonight." "I can handle Larry." "He's just a boy." "Leave him." "Larry, by the time you read this, I'll be gone." "If I stay, we'll end up sleeping together, and I can't have that." "I have my reasons." "Thanks for being there." "I'll see you again." "Much love, Nadine." "You were right about the dreams." "Hey, mister, watch out!" "Holy G, mister, but you took a tumble." "Didn't you just?" "My laws." "I'm sorry if I scared you, mister, but you scared me, too." "You're the first person I've seen in just about forever." "I made that, mister." "You like it?" "You bet." "I got them dummies from the window of Landon's on the highway to Okie City." "I thought a few decorations would cheer up Main Street." "It's been awful sad with everyone gone." "Do you like them?" "Thanks." "Decoration is my hobby." "M-O-O-N." "That spells "hobby."" "Do you want to go on up the street to the drugstore and get a Band-Aid?" "We can just take it if we want." "Everyone's gone, so it's not like stealing." "Sure don't talk much, do you?" "I'm sorry, mister, I can't read." "Just a few little words is all." "I went to school." "I made it to the third grade, but then I kind of pooped out." "I could read some Curious George when I left, but since then I kind of forgot." "I'm sorry, mister, I don't get you." "My daddy always said I was a little slow on the upchuck." "That's a joke." "My daddy was always joking around and..." "I got it, mister!" "You're just like old Albion Packalotte's hired man." "Tom Cullen knows what that is." "M-O-O-N." "That spells "deaf and dumb"!" "When they all coming back, mister?" "I know where they went, laws, yes." "They up and went to Kansas City." "They're always talking about what a dull town this is... since the roller rink went bust." "There's just the drive-in theater out on Route 61." "All they show is them diddly-daddly pictures and they're all rated "X."" "M-O-O-N." "That spells "X."" "So they all went to Kansas City." "Except my mama." "She caught a cold and died." "I put her in the cemetery my own self." "So she didn't go to Kansas City with the rest of them." "She's up in heaven." "She's eating the bread of life with Jesus." "Mister, if you're going to Kansas City, can I go with you?" "I ain't never been... and I don't want to stay here anymore." "It's lonely and it's scary at night." "Drive a car?" "Tom Cullen?" "Laws, no." "I guess you can't drive a car, either." "I got just the thing for you, ma'am." "Hey, mister, nice bike." "Who's it for?" "You want me to go with you?" "To Kansas City?" "To see the old black lady?" "That's right." "She lives in a little house in the corn." "She plays her guitar on the porch." "I don't mind going to see her, but we won't go see the other one, will we?" "The one that turns into a crow and flies away?" "He wears boots and jeans... and a jacket with special buttons on it." "Face buttons." "He looks like a man, but I don't think he's really a man." "We won't go near him, will we, mister?" "Okay, then." "All right, I'm ready." "Laws, yes." "M-O-O-N." "That spells "ready."" "M-O-O-N." "That spells "Nebraska"!" "Time to get going, Stuart." "You come see me." "Who are you?" " Who are you really?" " Your last hope." "If you miss me in Hemingford Home... we'll be moving on to Colorado." "I think you know where." "Boulder." "But..." "The rats are his." "Stay away from her, East Texas." "Stay away or you'll all die." "The plague!" "You come on along and see me." "You and all your friends." "Damn dreams are going to drive me crazy if I don't do something." "So I'm gonna go to Nebraska." "I gotta find out what this means." " You want to come with me?" " Why not?" "Always assuming we can find a motorcycle with a sidecar." "I'm not leaving Kojak." "Well, you don't sound very enthusiastic." "When I lose sleep, I get cranky." "Bad dreams?" "The name of the guy in the desert is Flagg." "And I think he's crucifying anyone who gets in his way." "Let's say we go out there to Nebraska and the old woman's there." "Let's say we go out there to Nebraska and the old woman's there." ""Folks round these parts call me Mother Abagail." ""I'm 106 years old and still make my own bread."" "Yeah, that's her." "Let's say she's real." "Then what?" "Well, it's obvious she's some sort of magnet." "So I suppose we start building the whole sorry mess up again... using her as magnetic north." "You hear that?" "How you doing?" "I'm Stu Redman." "This here's Glen Bateman." "And that furry one over there, that's Kojak." "Fran Goldsmith." " We're glad to meet you." " And we're glad to see you." " Aren't we, Harold?" " I don't know." "Do we assume they're all right... just because they remember how to shake hands?" "No harm intended here, Mr..." "Lauder." "Harold Lauder." "Harold, I don't think I'm ever going to get these calluses off my fanny." "Where are you folks headed?" " Nebraska." " Stovington, Vermont." "What?" "What's wrong?" "Going to Stovington would be a waste of your time." "I hardly think you're the best judge of that." "He was there." "And he knows." "They tried to kill him." " Really?" " Yeah." "Look..." "Glen and I were about ready to head to Nebraska." "We've been having the same dream" "The dreams are an aberration." "Maybe, but we're all headed in the same direction." " Why don't we go together?" " Okay." " No." " Harold." "I don't like the looks of them." "This one in particular." "Can I talk to you for a second?" "Come on." "I'm gonna talk straight to you now, okay?" "Between you and me." "I do not want to cut in on you here." "That's the last thing in the world that I want." "Relax." "The last thing in the world." "Here you go." " Okay." " No, thanks." "You sure?" "Not bad." "Cold." "Enjoy it." "I have a feeling there's gonna be a shortage of cold beer this summer." " I still want to check Stovington." " Harold, why?" "Let's just say I'm from Missouri." "And I don't always take the word of people I just met as gospel." "All right." "But there isn't anything there you're gonna wanna see." "Still from Missouri?" "You was right." "I never should have eaten all them apples." "Laws, no." "Where you going?" "Don't worry, I ain't going nowhere." "My legs feel all funny." "My God." "Are you real?" "If you're real, say something." "Are you a deaf-mute?" "Somebody finally shows up in this crappy town... and it turns out to be a deaf-mute." "Well, hi." "My name's Julie Lawry." "You can't tell me yours, can you?" "Poor you." "Does baby have a sad tummy?" "Ain't he a moose?" ""I'm Nick Andros." "My friend is Tom Cullen." "He's mildly retarded."" "A retard and a deaf-mute." "Just my luck." "What?" "Do all deaf-mutes have such big guns?" "They do?" "Peekaboo." "What?" "No." "Hold me." "You gotta hold me." "I've been lonely." "No, no." "What's that?" "He's just a retard." "He doesn't feel things the way that you and I do." "He can wait." "What?" "Get out." "Stupid dummy." "It was those apples." "Laws, yes." "I don't want it." "No, sir." "Say, who's that?" "How you doing, cutie-pie?" "I heard you weren't feeling too good." "Your name's Tom, right?" "Tom Cullen." " M-O-O-N." "That spells "Tom Cullen."" " Yes." "I don't want medicine, mister." "That's right." "You know what I know about that stuff?" "That stuff's poison." "No, sir." "Tom Cullen doesn't drink poison." "Daddy said, "Don't you ever."" "Daddy said if it killed the rats in the barn, it'd kill me, too." "Please don't make me drink it, mister." "Please." "His daddy said, "Don't do it." Don't make him do it." "I got Mighty Mouse here with pink lips... and a big old moose over there crying just like a baby." "Dummy freak bastard!" "Yeah, that's right." "You wouldn't dare." "Please." "Don't fight." "I feel better now." "I can go on, see?" "Fine, I'll read your crappy note." "It was just a joke, dummy." "It was a joke." "Joke, stupid." "It was a joke!" "I'm gonna get you." "You and your stupid freak friend." "I'm gonna get both of you guys!" "Sorry, mister." "I cry like a baby." "But she scared me." "Laws, yes." "You, too?" "Laws, yes!" "Let's get out of here before she comes back." "She's shooting at us!" "Come on, mister, we gotta get out of here!" "Come on!" "I want to see you run!" "If I ever see any of you two in my face again, I'll kill you!" "Hot." "Laws, yes." "What is it?" "Mister, we gotta go." "We gotta hide!" "What if..." "That could be her!" "She's back there." "Laws, yes, Tom knows that... but what if that one's like her?" "He might be like us?" "Nice, like us?" "Holy crow!" "Am I glad to see you fellows." "You boys headed to Nebraska?" "My friend can't talk." "He's deaf and dumb." "But he's smart." "I bet he is." "He got that look, don't he?" "Name's Ralph Brentner." "I'm Tom Cullen." "M-O-O-N." "That spells "Tom Cullen."" "I don't know his name 'cause I can't read it." "Sure wish I did, though." "Laws, yes." "Your friend's name here is Nick Andros." "M-O-O-N." "I guess that spells "Nick."" "Nick Andros." "How you doing?" "Why don't you boys climb on in?" "We got some miles to turn before dark." "Thank God!" "I'm so happy." "We're so happy to see someone else." "Right, Joe?" " I'm so pleased to meet you." " Same here, believe me." "How you doing, son?" "Joe!" "Put that away." "Nice kid." "Has he had his rabies shots yet?" "I'm sorry." "He's been traumatized." "Haven't we all?" "I suppose so." "I'm Lucy Swann." "The boy..." "I found him in a supermarket in Iowa City." "He was just wandering around and eating sweet stuff." "Back then, he was almost feral." "You took him with you anyway." "He would have died on his own." "So what do you think happened here?" "I mean, you think it was lightning, or..." "It started around dusk." "It was a whole series of explosions on the west side of town... where the tank farms are." "Then, later that night, there was a wind... and by morning, the rest of the city was gone." "I'd say it was set." "You think somebody deliberately burned Des Moines to the ground?" "Yes." "Who'd want to burn a whole city to the ground, for God's sakes?" "Cibola." "My life for you." "I will set you high in my councils, and I will set you to burn." "Cibola." "The city, as promised." "Thank you, Lord." "I didn't drop it on the floor." "Now, Lord, I ain't picked the corn yet." "Maybe some of those men you're sending will help me out." "Thank you, my Lord, for bringing them to me." "Hello, Mother." "Ralph Brentner." "I'm so pleased to meet you." "We never made a single wrong turn." "Nick here knew just how to come." "Hello, Nick." "Glad to see you." "God bless." "You've done it, Nick." "You've brought them through." "You're the first of many." "You're all welcome here." "Our time is very short, but we'll break bread together... and have some fellowship, one with the other." " Granny lady?" " What, honey?" "Are you the oldest lady in the world?" "Gina." "That's not polite." "Mayhap so, sweetheart." "Mayhap so." "That was a dilly of a meal, ma'am." "It wasn't bad." "Birds was a little tough." ""But it's a hell of a lot tougher where there's none"... my own mama used to say." "Now I've made up a cot for the little one in the back room." " The woman, what's her name, Ralph?" " Susan." "Susan Stern." "A goodish name." "She can bunk with the tot." "How did you know to come to me in the first place?" "We dreamed of you, Mother." "Of you and the other fellow." "The other fellow." "Come on, you." "Time for bed." "God bless the child." "God bless the child that's got her own." "I was told... that we're gonna be like a snowball rolling downhill... picking up other people as we head west." "Told?" "Told by who, Mother?" "Told by God." "I tried not to hear what God had to tell me but you can see all the good it done." "You been drafted, too, Nick." "God has his finger on your heart." "And He's got more fingers than one." "There's dark work ahead for his chosen ones." "Dark and bloody." "Ma'am... what if this dark man we've been dreaming about isn't real?" "What if he's, what do you call it, a bogeyman?" "You dreamed of me." "Am I the bogeyman?" "No, ma'am." "He's real all right... and it's our lot to deal with him." "God don't explain his will... to the likes of Abby Freemantle." "Well?" "Nick says..." "He says he don't believe in God." "God bless you, Nick, but it don't matter." "He believes in you." "I'm fine." "Just thinking some long thoughts." "My daddy owned all this once." "As far as your eye can see." "And my brothers lost it... a piece at a time, after he was gone." "Finally... the only thing left was the home place." "What I said to myself was:" ""Don't worry, Ab." "They can have the rest." ""I'll hang on to the home place..." ""come what may."" "And now look at this." "Look at my things, sitting in the back of that damn truck." "And look at me, getting moved on... like a vagrant turned out of a boxcar by railroad dick." "Is that what God is?" "A big old railroad dick, who'd like to whop you upside your head... if you don't step as lively as he wants you to step?" "Oh, Jesus!" "You guys coming?" "Daylight's wasting." "Come on, Nick..." "Ralph's waiting." "All right." "Let's go." "Boulder, here we come!" "Cibola!" "My life for you." "Wonderful city of gold!" "Seven in one." "My life for you." "Anybody here?" " What are we gonna do with him?" " Let him sleep." "Flagg wants him." "Where is Flagg, anyway?" "You that anxious to see him, Barry?" "I just thought..." "Flagg will be around." "He's been waiting for this guy." "This guy's something special." "My life for you." "Thank You, Lord, for bringing us across the prairie... and to this place where the mountains begin." "Please take care of us in the days and weeks to come... and help us to love one another and do your will... however hard it may sometimes seem to us." "Tom!" "Tommy, come look!" " What is it, Gina?" " A parade." "Come on up and look." "Gosh, it is!" "M-O-O-N." "That spells "parade."" "Help us to be true, dear Lord." "Help us to stand." "English" "There's so much blood here." "Damn it, still not enough light." "I turned them all up as high as they'll go." "Never mind." "Frannie, wipe my forehead off." "I'm sweating like a pig." "Okay?" "Glen, give me the scissors." "Can you see it, East Texas?" "That's his appendix, right there." "No, the small one." "What, Dayna, what?" " You don't need to." " What do you mean?" "We're almost there." "He's dead, Stu." "Please... cover him up." ""I am the resurrection, and the life." ""Whosoever believeth in me..." ""shall not perish."" "There's more, I suppose, but I don't remember it." "It worked for me, Judge." "Amen." "Good morning, Mr. Lauder." "Where the hell is everybody?" "Dayna's still asleep." "I don't know where Fran is." "I think Stu went fishing." "Off catching lunch in the Big Two-Hearted River." "Figures." "I beg pardon?" "Oh, nothing." "The Judge and I thought we'd take a little ride into town and go CB shopping." "Want to come?" " I'll pass." " Just as you like." "Hi." "Still thinking about Mark?" "It's not just that." "I had a dream about the scary one last night." "It was by far the worst one yet." "There were all these crosses on Highway 15." "Yeah, made out of barn beams and telephone poles, right?" " With people hanging off of them." " You, too?" "Yeah." "And Dayna and Glen." "Judge Farris." " Okay if I sit down?" " Yeah, of course." "I dreamed about him the night Mark died." "Last night I drew the old lady." " That one's much better." " Yeah, a whole lot better." "She was on a porch, but not the same one as before." "I think she and the first bunch have finally made it to Boulder." "I know they have." "She said:" ""You got to move them along faster still, Stuart." ""One day off's all you get." ""Mind you, keep picking up strays along the way."" "It's so weird." "How can we all be having the same dream like this?" "I don't know." "You know, Glen's got some sleeping pills... in his little traveling pharmacy." "You want me to ask him to give you one?" " Thank you, but no." " You sure?" "Get a good night's rest before we have to hit the road again." "I can't." "Why not?" "I'm afraid it'll hurt the baby." "Have you told Harold?" " When are you due?" " January." "We have something to tell you." " I don't know really how to say it." " I think I have a pretty good idea." "Congratulations." "Fran thought you might be a little..." "Jealous?" "Angry?" "Something like that, yeah." "Well, jealous, yeah." "Angry?" "It's life." "I've got something to tell you." "I couldn't say it up until now." "I love you, Frannie." "Thank you, Harold." " And I believe I owe you an apology." " That's all right." " Still friends, right, guys?" " Of course." " Yes." " Good deal." "You need any help with that?" " No, everything's under control." " You're sure, now?" "Perfectly under control." "My life for you!" "Cibola." "Seven in one." "My life for you." "How are you feeling, man?" "I'm okay." " Who are you?" " This here's Lloyd Henreid." "He ain't bad for a slice of Wonder Bread." "I'm the Rat Man." "Bold, black, beautiful." "Pleased to meet you, Trash." "How do you know people back home used to call me that?" "You gotta do something about that talking-in-your-sleep thing." "Listen..." "I didn't know your exact sizes, but these ought to be okay." " Am I going somewhere?" " Yeah, Flagg wants to see you." "My life for him." "Yes." "My life for him!" "Dude's crazy." "Like we're not?" "Get dressed." "The Trashcan Man." "How good it is to see you." "My life for you." "I don't think it will come to that." "There's work for you in the desert, Trash." "Great work, if you want it." "Anything." "My life for you." "I love you." "I know." "I know you do." "And I'm going to fulfill all your dreams, Trash." "Come, let's talk about your future." "Mother Abagail, I dreamed about you." "I know you did." "Come on up here." "Just you and your man to start with." "You're with child, little girl." "How did you know that?" "How do, Stuart?" "Welcome to Boulder." "Pleased to meet you." "How do you know my name?" "You're all welcome here." "Come on in and let us visit a spell." "Seems there were more here before." "Harold's gone." "Well, come on in." "I made some lemonade." "Very pleased to see you." "I'm here." "I came to you." ""The bride cometh to the bridegroom as a flame to the wick of a lamp."" "Is that the Bible?" "Danielle Steel, I think." "Who cares?" "My love." "You okay, ma'am?" "Of course I am." "Why?" "You were having a bad dream." "Must have been a real wowser, by the sound." "Was it about him?" "The walking dude?" "I don't remember." "We're making real good time." "They must have cleared the road all the way from Julesburg." "How long till we get there?" "Two hours." "Three at the most." "Two hours." "Three at the most." "Look, you can see the mountains." "Summer's almost gone." "Can't believe it." "How the time flies when you're having fun." "Right, East Texas?" " Big day today." " How so?" "The power station." "Oh, yeah." " I can't believe you forgot that." " I didn't forget it." "I blocked it out." "The plague took the people, but it couldn't take the gadgets." "No, they're all still out there." "Everything from electric can openers to cobalt bombs... just waiting for someone to come along and pick them up." " And the scavenger hunt starts today." " Oh, hell, Professor... what's so bad about putting the rocks back in people's scotch?" "It's the old way." "And the old way was a death trip." " That's a little heavy, don't you think?" " Do you?" "There's an old woman down there who might tell you different, East Texas." "If she'd talk about this end of it at all, that is." " What's the problem?" " I don't know if there is one." "But I know I'm very concerned about the way things are going." "She wants a mass meeting... except she says it's really God who wants the meeting." "We say, "Fine, you're fine, Mother, God's fine, too."" "And then we go back to tinkering with the power station... trying to recreate the world... that damn near choked the human race to death." "What's wrong with this picture?" "Take a look at that." "You're all welcome here." "Come on, now!" "Come on up and say howdy." "Go to her." " You're real." "You're really real." " No, get up." "I ain't no God, and I ain't going to be no golden calf, either." "Dave Zellman." "Rouses Point, New York." "I dreamed of you, Mother Abagail." "I'm so glad to have you come." "I'm Marcy Halloran, Mother Abagail." "From Cleveland." "I dreamed of you, too." " She's so gray, Stu." " Who?" " I know her." " Hold it." "Who's this woman who comes?" "Go to her." " My name is Nadine Cross." " Mayhap it is, mayhap it ain't." "I'm from New York." " Mayhap you are" " Mayhap I ain't." "I won't keep you long." "You look so tired." "Of course, anyone your age is bound to tire easily, isn't that so?" " Mother Abagail." " Hello, Joe." "What do you know?" " What the hell..." " Leave me alone." "Hello, Nadine." "You gonna leave again without saying goodbye?" "I said I had my reasons, that I didn't want to answer questions." "I still don't, so just leave me alone." "I'm ready, Brad." "All battery power is up and running." "Listen up, folks." "We're about ready to go for it here." "It might not be such a bad idea to keep the nearest exit in mind." "Okay, sweetheart, let's let them up." "I'm scared." "I'm a little scared myself." " Green board!" "I've got green across!" " All right!" "Ladies and gentlemen, we are back!" "There was something in that woman this morning." "Was it him?" "I don't know, Lord." "She passed on by so quick." "No, that ain't it... and I'm too old to be... making excuses to the God of my understanding." "I have sinned in complacency... and sinned in pride... sitting back in my rocker like a queen... and letting them come to me." "Letting them do everything but bow down before me." "Oh, my Lord, what am I to do?" "Show me how to go, Lord." "I'm listening." "This ain't on the..." "I guess we're all gonna have to get used to this again." "What I started to say was..." "I wonder if maybe we couldn't start by singing the national anthem." "Thy will be done, Lord." "I'm pretty nervous up here, so I hope you all bear with me." "We will, Stu." " I'm on this." " I'll make this as painless as possible... so we can all get out of here and have a beer." "First off..." "I'd like you to meet the man who got the juice on again." "Brad Kitchner, stand up, take a bow." "Okay, next thing is this so-called Free Zone Committee." "The names came from Mother Abagail." "Where is Mother Abagail?" "I haven't seen her all day." " This is still America..." " I'm sure she's around someplace." "...and I guess whatever starts with her still has to end with us." "That means a vote." "First, though, I'd like you to meet the folks you'll be voting on." "I'm one of them." "Stu Redman, from Arnette, Texas." "Next is Nick Andros, originally from Ridley, Pennsylvania... and Ralph Brentner from Okie City." "Miss Frances Goldsmith from Ogunquit, Maine." "Stand up, Frannie." "Let them see how pretty you look with your dress on." "Brad Kitchner's good friend Susan Stern from Tacoma, Washington." "Mr. Glen Bateman from Woodsville, New Hampshire... and Larry Underwood from New York City." "Did you see where Lucy and Joe went?" "Maybe she took him to the bathroom." "If any of you other folks have any other ideas..." "Mr. Chairman." "Chair recognizes Harold Lauder." "I move that we accept Mother Abagail's Free Zone Committee... in toto... if they'll all serve, that is." "Brilliant." "Utterly brilliant." "Judge, can we do that?" "You're damn right you can." "And I for one think it's a damn good idea." "Folks, it's been moved and seconded... that we accept the entire committee as listed on the agenda." "I guess I ought to ask if there's anybody on the list who wants to step down." "A voice vote will do just fine." "Those in favor of accepting the committee as it stands?" "Those in favor of accepting the committee as it stands?" "Aye!" "Opposed?" "The committee is so adopted." "Oh, no." "She can't." "There ought to be a '"turning off'" committee." "Having the power back on is great... but you must realize people didn't get up out of their sickbeds... and turn off all their appliances before they died." "She's gone!" "Mother Abagail!" "She's gone." "What is it?" "What happened?" ""I must be gone a bit now." ""I've sinned and presumed to know the mind of God." ""I must try to find my place in his work again."" "She's scribbled a reference at the bottom." "Proverbs 11:3." ""When pride cometh, then cometh shame:" "but with the lowly is wisdom."" "All right, what now?" ""This doesn't change much, if anything." ""We dreamed of Mother Abagail and she was real." ""That makes it a pretty sure bet that the other guy is real, too." ""We have to find out all we can about him." ""We have to find out all we can about him." ""That probably means sending spies west."" "Spies?" ""It's a nasty thing to think about, but we will do what we have to do." ""Flagg is our business right now..." ""and we'll have to trust Mother Abagail to her God."" "Our friend in the cowboy boots and jean jacket... isn't going to just sit over there on his side of the Rockies... playing mumblety-peg, you know." "If he's planning to come east and attack us..." "Or nuke us." "...we ought to know about it." "All right." "Let's talk about Flagg." "How do we look into his part of the world?" "Damn kid." "Messing my guitar." "Honey?" "Yeah, go inside, baby." "I have to talk to you, Larry." "Yeah, come on inside." "No, out here." "Please." "Is she the woman that came out of New York with you?" "Yeah." "Go inside, baby." "I'll handle this." " What are you doing here, Nadine?" " Messing up your happy home." "Maybe I came to say I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry... for the way I left you... and then for the way I said hello." "I was just so surprised to see you." "Yeah, fine." "Apology accepted." "That was easy, wasn't it?" "Is she nice?" "Lucy." "She's the best." "Good." "I'm glad for you." "I made a mistake when I left you." "I know that now." "The way it was tonight at the meeting... the love and the light..." "I want to stay here, Larry." "Make love to me and I can stay here." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Doesn't matter." "Make love to me, Larry." "Make love to me and everything will be all right... and we'll take care of each other." "You come here and you look right through my wife." " Your wife." " Yeah, that's right, my wife." "Don't you understand?" "It's too late." " Do you understand that?" " Yes, I suppose I do." "You work it out, Nadine." " Did you come back for your things?" " Don't." "She's gone." "I don't know what she wanted, but she's gone now." "I love you, Lucy." "Just work it out." "You are so wise, Larry." "Very, very wise." "Now go to Harold, but remember who you really belong to." "Chow." "Bring it on." "Consider it brung." "You're the perfect American male, Stu." "We get the power back and you decide to barbecue." "Now soon as they bring back pork rinds and Monday Night Football..." "I'm gonna be in redneck heaven." "Nick's proposal is that we send at least three people west to Las Vegas... which we all seem to feel is this Flagg's base of operations." "The purpose is to try and find out what Flagg's plans are for us." "Anybody want to kick it around a little bit?" "We haven't been elected one whole day yet... and already we've managed to reinvent the ClA." "Who needs Monday Night Football?" "What the hell else we gonna do?" "All he needs is one guy to target some Scud missile with an A- bomb on it." "If he's got one, what then?" "If he's got one, what then?" "Somebody will have to try and stop him from using it." "I want to be one of the three." "That's commendable, but I'm afraid it's out of the question." "Why?" "Because we don't know if any of our scouts will make it back." "Meanwhile, we seven have the not inconsiderable job... of getting the Free Zone on a paying basis." "That's the job you took last night." "You may not like it, but that doesn't change it." "Oh, my God, I'm a politician." "This isn't Colorado: it's hell." "If that's the way we play, I nominate Judge Farris." "That old man?" "You must be nuts." "Now wait a minute." "He is old, but he's sharp." "He's not in bad health either." "I don't think Flagg would suspect we'd send an old fellow like the Judge." "If I can't go, what about asking Dayna?" " That's a good idea." " Wait." " I'm not being serious here." " You better get serious." "I can't believe we're doing this." "If you didn't want to get your hands dirty, you should have stayed off the committee." "We're probably sending people off to get killed." "Yeah, that's right." "Making decisions like that... is what being in charge is all about." "Either grow up and do it or get out." "You're awful cute when you get angry, Stu." "Okay, all right." "So who's the third goat?" "Scout?" "You got any ideas?" "Nick here has got an idea." "It's a dilly." "Ten, nine... eight." "You're getting drowsy, Tom." "Drowsy, that's right." "Laws, yes." "Seven." "Drowsier still." "Soon you'll be fast asleep." "Six, five, four... three, two, one." "Are you asleep, Tom?" "Yes, Tom's asleep." " Can you hear me, Tom?" " Yeah, I hear you, Stu." "Nick's here with me." "Fran, Larry, Ralph, Sue, Glen, all here with me." "All my friends, laws, yes." "We need you to do something, Tom." "It's for the Free Zone." " It's dangerous." " It's him, isn't it?" "Yeah, Tommy, it is." "The hard case, the walking dude." "He can call the rats." "He can see all across the long miles." "But he's afraid of us." "Are you the same Tom that Nick met in Oklahoma?" "Yes." "No." "I'm God's Tom." "We want you to go west, Tommy." "Can you do that?" "West." "Yes, Tom knows west." "It's where the sun goes down." "We need you to keep your eyes open." "Wide open." "We want you to look at the airfields... and see if people are getting planes ready to fly... or maybe missiles." "Do you know what missiles are, Tom?" " Rockets." " Yes, that's right." "We want you to see if people are being trained." " Like soldiers?" " Yeah." "But most important... we want you to listen." "Listen to what people say about Flagg... and about the Free Zone here in Boulder." "We need to know what Flagg means to do about the Free Zone." "If he means to..." "That's right, Tom." "You got it." "Can you do all that, Tommy?" "Look." "Listen." "Yes." "I'll be afraid, but I can do that." "Look... and then you come back here to Boulder... when the moon is full." " Do you understand?" " Yes." "M-O-O-N spells "moon."" "Come back and tell... unless they catch me." "If anyone asks questions why you came, this is what you'll say:" " They drove you out of the Free Zone..." " Drove me out because you were feeble-minded." "Feeble-minded, laws, yes." "And you might have a woman... and that woman might have idiot children." "Idiot children like Tom." "Go ahead, finish." "Don't leave him out there." "Tell it back to me, Tommy." "What will you say if they ask you questions?" "You drove me out because you were afraid..." "I might have a woman... and fill her belly up with a retard like me." "When you come back here... you'll walk at night and sleep in the day." "Walk at night." "Sleep in the day." "But someone might see you anyway." "If it's one person that sees you, kill him." "Kill him?" "If it's more than one, you run." "Come back when the moon is full." "Not the half moon, not the fingernail moon." "Walk at night, sleep in the day." "Don't let anybody see me." "Go ahead, Stu, wake him up." "Please wake him up." "Would you like to see an elephant?" "Did I do all right?" "Did I stand on my head like before?" "No, Tom... you did some even better tricks this time." "History teaches us that when the Great Plague hits... those who don't die alone usually die in church." "So, we may find nothing in this one, but if we do... try to think of the bodies as cordwood." " It'll make it easier." " Cordwood." "Come on in." "It is your house after all, isn't it?" "Who the hell are you?" "I'm Nadine Cross." "I saw you at the meeting the other night... and I believe you saw me, too." "What are you doing in my house?" "And how did you get in here?" " And what's that smell?" " Supper." "The rest of the Q and A will have to wait until it's on the table." "I put two jugs of wash water on the back stoop... and, frankly, you could use it." "What have you been doing?" "Stuff I'd rather not talk about, if it's all the same to you." "Don't even think about leaving." "Absolutely not." "Tinned beef, I'm afraid." "Hardly the choice of French chefs, but..." " It was wonderful." " Thank you." "The supermarket is full of deer." "Did you know that?" "Now that the produce is gone, they're sticking mainly to the cereal section." "To friendship." "Are we going to be friends, Nadine?" "Very good friends." "You're planning on going west, aren't you?" "To him?" "What would put a crazy idea like that in your head?" "I got lots of crazy ideas." "Just wait and see." "You're a virgin, aren't you?" "It's all right." "I am, too." " You?" " Me." "And I'm gonna stay that way... because it's for someone else to change it." "Who?" "Don't be dense, Harold." "But we can still do things." "Things you wouldn't believe." "Everything but that one thing, and it's such a little thing, really." "How would you know?" "Pull Tab A, Harold, and shut up." "To new acquaintances." "And absent friends." "The disappearance of the old woman might just be for the best." "People should be free to judge for themselves... what the lights in the sky are... or if God sometimes does speak in the thunder." " Do you think she's dead?" " No." "She should be, but I don't think she's done yet." "Or done with us." "Look, Judge." "I wanted to talk to you." "There's no need to twist yourself into knots, Larry." "I know why I'm here, and I accept." "How do you know that?" "If someone on the committee's been leaking information" "Nobody's been leaking anything." "At least, not to me." "I merely asked myself what my first priority would be... if I were in your shoes." "The answer, of course, is information." "That means spies." "We like to call them scouts." "Okay, scouts, by all means." "And each of we scouts... is to be ignorant of the others... in case of capture or torture." "If you don't think you can make it, you just say so." "'Cause you're not gonna be much good to anyone... lying dead of a heart attack beside some ranch road in New Mexico." "I'll leave tomorrow... in that four-wheel drive of mine." "North to Wyoming, then due west." "I'll be cold." "I'll be lonely." "My bowels will not work properly." "But also, I will be clever." "I suppose you will." "Did you enjoy that, Harold?" "Yes." " But it couldn't have done much for you." " Au contraire." "You know, it looks like blood." "Guess that's why they use it in Communion services." "Drink up, Harold." "How did you get into my house?" "He told me there would be a key under the stoop, and there was." "Aren't you going to drink your wine?" " Flagg told you how to get into my house?" " Yes." "He also said you have reason to hate them." "All of them." "It's the woman, isn't it?" "You loved her." "But that didn't stop Redman, did it?" "She was mine." "And the committee." "That old woman left me off, and she let that hick Brentner on." "I'm surprised she didn't let his feeb friend on as well." "There's someone in the west... who will never take what's yours." "And he's waiting for us." "I know." "I know he is." "Then drink your wine." "Guess this is it, Tommy." "You all right?" "Time to go and see the elephant." "That's right." "Travel at night." "Sleep in the day." "Come back when the moon is full." "Tell what I saw." "That's right, Tommy." "Nice of Ralph to loan you his hat." "He said to take good care of it... and give it back to him when I come home." "That's just what I'm gonna do." "Wish you were going with me, old pal." "I wouldn't be so scared." "Thanks, Nick." "I always forget stuff like that." "I hate being retarded." "Bye." "See you later, alligator." "After a while, crocodile!" " Relax, Miss Goldsmith." " Okay, please call me Fran." " Have you gained any weight?" " Just 5 pounds or so." "Is he going to be all right?" " He or she is going to be just fine." " Really?" "I want to see you as soon as you're dressed." "Okay, thank you." "You are so lucky." "Brad and I are already trying." "How lucky I am remains to be seen, doesn't it?" "The flu." "Who says it's gone?" "Who knows if our babies are going to be immune?" "You're a card, Hawk." "Yeah, a wild card." "Do it, Harold." "Go for it." "Were you dreaming?" "They'll be having regular meetings, won't they?" "I mean, they'll have to." "In fact, they probably already started." " Who?" " Their committee, Nadine." "I don't know." "I guess." "There's dynamite in the city storage shed." "Tons of it." "He told me." "He showed me." "What are you talking about?" "A surprise." "A big loud one." "Probably not next week, but soon." "You look so tasty." "So juicy." " Do I?" " Yes." "Come here." "All runways clear." "That's a good morning's work." " What I'd like is a nice nap." " Yeah, right." "How come the big guy wanted the runway cleared, anyway?" "You want to have a nice life in Vegas, Richie?" "Good working conditions, retirement benefits?" " Sure." " Then don't ask why Flagg does things." "That's the best idea, believe me." "Hey, Moose." " Stick this cooler in the back of the truck." " Sure." "And get the toolkit out of the cab and take it into the hangar office." "You bet." "M-O-O-N, that spells "toolkit."" "Oh, God." "Easy, watch the wing." " Watch it, Trash." " I am, Carl, it's okay." "Careful, Trash, that's a bomb." "We want you to look at the airfields... and see if people are getting planes ready to fly... or maybe missiles." "I told you to put the toolbox in the office... not be in here snooping around." "I just heard something." "I don't want to hear your retarded excuses." "Now get the hell out of here." "Everything all right, Barry?" "Yeah, fine." "What the hell are you doing?" "Don't screw with my disco, Nadine." " Is everything all right?" " No." "If I had dropped this... you'd be washing my guts out of your pretty white hair... for the next two weeks." "I'm sorry." "Let me make a suggestion, my little disco queen." "Take a walk." "A walk?" "Yes, a walk." "Because, you see, I have no idea how old this stuff is." "I do know that old dynamite sweats pure nitroglycerine." "So, take a walk." "And if you hear a very loud bang... that'll probably be me going to that great disco inferno in the sky." "All right, if you're sure." "Yes, buzz." "Make like a library and book." "Hello?" "Fran?" "Anyone home?" "What?" "We're damned." "Yes, I know." "Larry, come on." "Okay, order." "Yeah, I'd like to call this meeting to order." "Grammy Abagail!" "Oh, my God, it's her." "She's come back." " Harold, it's" " Nadine, here." "Use this." "It's perfectly accurate." " All right, but" " Just tell me when it's 9:15." "Until then, keep your yap shut." "It's going to look beautiful from up here." "The law committee held four meetings last week... and will hold two meetings this week... in order to finalize the regulations and procedures..." " to establish a new governing council." " Fran..." " The meetings are going very slow..." " ..." "Stuart, Nick, Ralph." "What the hell?" "Listen, we have to get out of here." "Right now." " Ralph, what is it?" " He's right." "Something's wrong." "It's in the closet." "Nick, don't do it!" "No!" "Go!" "We gotta go!" "Do it, Harold!" "This is Harold Lauder." "I do this of my own free will." "Help!" "Help me!" "Am I dead?" "No, child." "You ain't dead." "Then why am I here?" "You're here to do God's will, child, just like everyone else." "God didn't bring you together to make a committee or Free Zone." "He brought you together to send some of you further." "It's Stuart who must lead, now that Nick's gone." "Lead?" "Lead where?" "Why, west, little girl." "You're not to go." "Only these four:" "Stuart, Ralph, Larry, and Glen." " You'll bide" " No, Stuart's not going anywhere." "He's gonna stay with me when I have my baby." "Neither one of us is gonna have any more to do with your killer God." "The devil's imp has called his bride... to put her with child." "Will he let your child live, little girl?" "Father, mother, wife, husband... set against them, the Prince of High Places." "I have sinned in pride." "So have you all." "That's past now." "It's time now... to give over your will... to the will of God." "It's time to make your stand." "Wake up, honey." " Did I lose the baby?" " No." " The baby's okay." " My back." "The doctor says it's whiplash." "You won't be running the 100-yard dash for a few months... but I think you'll be all right to move." "Try to sit up." "Nick's dead." " How'd you know?" " She told me." "Who else died?" " We can talk about that later." " No, who else?" "Chad Norris." "Al Bundell." "Angie Terminello." "Dick Ellis." "Susan Stern." " Twenty or so wounded." " Who did it?" "It looks like Harold Lauder and that Cross woman." "Where are they?" "Are they gone?" "Yeah." "Send them out." "All but those... that are left of your committee." "All right, 10 minutes." "No more." "Come on, people, if you're not part of the committee, out." "Let's go." "Stay." "This concerns you and Fran... as much as these men... who have to go into the wilderness." "What do you mean, "into the wilderness"?" "This is God's will, given me... as I wandered into my own wilderness." "Draw close around me." "Tell us, Mother." "You four men are to go west... to take no food or water... but to go this very day... in the clothes you now wear." "You are to go on foot." "I'm in the way of knowing one will fall by the way..." "I'm in the way of knowing one will fall by the way... but I don't know which it will be." "I'm in the way of knowing the others will be taken... before this Flagg... who isn't a man... but a creature from beyond the world." "I don't know if you will defeat him." "I only know God wants you to go... and with God's help... you will stand and be true." " What if we say no?" "What?" " Come on." "Your will is as free as that... of Eve in the garden, child." "Go where ye list." "That's always been God's way." "But this is what God wants of you." "Be true." "Stand." "It is finished." "White magic... that's all that's left." "Stuart, please say no." "Please." "I think if one of us says no... then maybe we all die." "Take care of yourself." "I love you... you know." "Swear to me that you'll come back." "Come on, God can't run all of it." "Swear to me you'll come back." " I swear to try." " That's not good enough." "Thanks." " We have to go." " Tell me you love me." " You know I do." " But I need to hear you say it." "I love you." "I love you." "All right, Kojak." "Come on, boy." "Time to go." "Come on, Kojak, let's go." "Please, God... if you're there, please take care of them." "English" "Are you all right, Stu?" "It's not me." "I think it's Harold." "Something has happened to him." "Nadine!" "Help me!" "You said it yourself, Harold." "We're damned." "You can't just leave me!" "You can't leave me!" "My ribs are broken." "My leg." "Come back!" "If you go out on me, Bobby Terry..." " Gin!" " Doodlebug!" "Post nine, if you can hear me, come on back." " That's Henreid!" " I know it is." "I'm right here, Mr. Henreid." "But we haven't seen anything yet, not a single vehicle." "Keep your eyes open." "And remember what I told you." "Don't mark him." "Right." "I mean, copy." "Just remember it." "We want all the people over there to know exactly who they're looking at." "So stay alert." "Roger that!" "If black powder were brains, that guy couldn't blow his nose." "Lloyd?" "Are you coming back?" "I thought you were going to sleep." "I might need a sleeping pill." "Call me "the doctor."" "You're the one that threw them." "You should have to pick them up." "You're just a sausage brain, you know that?" "You're just a sore loser." "That was him!" "Come on." "He's getting away!" "Remember." "In the guts." "He wants his head." "When I hit him with this, won't be nothing left but the head." "Stay right there." "And get that lettuce cutter out of sight." "Okay, here we go." "Dassn't mark his head." "You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man, would you, old-timer?" "Were you back in Copperfield?" "We seen you go by." "Dave Roberts." "Oh, God!" "You bastard!" "I got him dead on, Dave!" "I killed his ass, Dave." "You're in a heap of trouble, son." "I told you not to mark him." "All right, shut the hell up." "This is Lloyd, come on back." "The Judge is a wash." "What?" "A wash!" "A wash." "A total washout!" "Do you copy, you idiot?" "Yeah, I copy." "It's time to take their Number Two." "You know who it is?" "I've known all along, actually." "Listen to me, Lloyd." "Listen to me very carefully, soldier." "Wake up!" "Come here." "Get dressed, you lying, spying bitch." "Forget about the bathroom." "Do it here." "Yeah, do it here." "You have seen me naked for the last time in your short, miserable life." "I am going in there, and if you even try and stop me..." "I will do my very best to give you a sex-change operation." "Excuse me." "Let her go." "If she tries to lock the door, break it down." "You do know that I faked it every time, don't you, Lloyd?" "What the hell are you laughing at?" "I wasn't over here risking my life... and sleeping with you, Lloyd, for fun." "and sleeping with you, Lloyd, for fun." "Do you people know what your tin god is up to?" "What is it that you think they're doing out there at Indian Springs?" "If you're not out in 30 seconds... you can give your sermon to Flagg in your panties." "Yes!" "He says "frog," you jump." "Isn't that the way it goes?" "He's the biggest and the strongest, ma'am." "You're wrong." "And you're a fool." "Come on." " I've got her, R.F." " R.F. How perfect." "Send her in, please." "Dayna." "Hi, come in." "You expected Charles Manson at the very least, didn't you?" "I don't know what I expected." "Poor Lloyd had a very bitter experience in Phoenix not long ago." "It marked him." "Sit down, Dayna." " What happened to the chairs?" " I had them taken out." "Liars sit in chairs, you know." "Truth-tellers just sort of hunker down." "Your friends in Boulder sent you to spy out the land." "True?" " I suppose." " You... the Judge... and someone else." "I can't quite see this third person." "Sometimes, usually, in fact, I can figure these things out for myself." "I'm one of those lucky people with a little psychic twinkle." "But every time I try to see this third spy... all I can see... is the moon." "M-O-O-N, that spells "moon."" "Does that mean anything to you, Dayna?" "Not a thing." " What about the Judge?" " Never mind the Judge." "Now pay attention, dear." "I am disposed to give you your things..." "I am disposed to give you your things... and send you back to your friends in Boulder." "And when you get back, I'd simply like you to tell them for me... that we are just trying to get on our feet again, as they are... that we mean them no harm." "Then what's Carl Hough and that weirdo Trashcan Man doing at Indian Springs?" "Are you planning to turn the missiles stockpiled there... into New Age water fountains or something?" "Never mind the Trashcan Man." "Let it go, dear." "There's no reason to hang on to this spy business." "Your old black witch is dead." "Your people are in confusion." "If there was ever any reason for your being here, it's gone." "Mother Abagail is not dead." "I'm afraid she is." "I don't believe it!" "She died in a coma." "Without saying a word." "That's it, dear." "You mean I can just go?" "There is one more thing." " What's that?" " The moon man, dear." "Who is he?" "I don't know." "I think you do." "No, really, I don't know." "I didn't even know about the Judge... until I heard Lloyd talking about him with some guy in Idaho." "That makes perfect sense." "But all the same, you do know." "You know and you'll tell me." "Do you understand?" "Why don't you know?" "Why don't you know already?" "I don't know." "Tell me, you bitch!" "Tell me." "Eat this!" "Oh, my dear." "You'll tell me what I want to know." "Before I'm through with you, you'll beg to tell me." "Come back when the moon is full." "When the moon is full." "M-O-O-N spells "moon."" "Watch out, would you?" "The feeb." "What is it, Stu?" "It's Harold." "He's dead." "I don't know how I know or why, but he's dead." "He blew his own head off." "Gun oil." "My mouth's full of the taste." "May God have mercy on his poor excuse for a soul." "Hey, Trash!" "What'd old lady Semple say when you torched her pension check?" "People who play with fire wet the bed." "Leave me alone." "Shut up about old lady Semple and leave me alone!" "Keep him away from me!" "Gonna stick you in the nuthatch up in Terre Haute, Trash." "Stick you in the nuthatch and give you a few thousand shock treatments." "Hey, Trash!" "I've been looking for you everywhere." "Damn firebug." "I don't trust him." "Wait a minute." "Wait just one damn minute." "Wait just one damn minute." "Oh, my God, no!" "Leave me alone!" "I couldn't help it!" "I'm so sorry!" "Nadine." "Over here." "Over here, my love." "That's right." "This way." "Randall?" "Is that you?" "I've been waiting so long." "The waiting's over." " No." " It's too late to say no, dear." "Much too late." "Oh, God, no!" "Bet you haven't been in this good a shape since childhood." "About 100 years ago, right?" "There's a perfectly good reason for this little stroll, you know." "And Mother Abagail knew it when she sent us out the way she did... with just the clothes on our backs." "Our bellies are empty." "More importantly, our heads are empty." "Hell, mine was pretty empty to begin with." "I'm serious." "We're out here in the middle of the Great American Nowhere... minus all the baggage we used to carry everyplace we went." "She wanted us cleaned out, empty." "Ready to be filled up again by some new thing." "Maybe a great thing." "Almost certainly the last thing." "Come on, Kojak." "Fetch, boy." "Go on, go get it." "Go!" "Welcome to Las Vegas, ma'am." "So if the feeb's important... you make sure that he knows it was me who told you." " Me." " I got it." "Don't worry." " Lloyd." "Good to see you." " I thought we might see you last night." "You know how it is with newlyweds." "We haven't managed to pick Trash up." "We're searching the desert west of Indian Springs." "It's big country, might take a while." "He'll come back in on his own eventually." "When he does, I want him put away." "But mercifully." "I doubt if you can understand this... but I felt a certain kinship for that boy." " I don't want him to suffer." " Fine." " I just thought" " Tell him!" "Such a rude child." "Come, dear." "It might be important." "This girl thinks she saw somebody" "Later." "Come up this afternoon." "1:00 should be fine." "In the meantime..." "She's crazy about me, Lloyd." "She can't get enough." "Wave a bye-bye." "We are dead... and this is hell." "You promised me you were gonna tell him." "Shut up." "Shut the hell up!" "Can you get that, sweetie pie?" "Guess not." "Lloyd." "Come in." "I don't believe I've introduced my wife to you by name." "I'd like you to meet Lloyd Henreid, my number- one soldier." " Pleased to meet you." " Oh, no." "Shake hands, kids." "Shake it, Nadine." "That's nice." "You can put it down now, my love." "My wife is indisposed." "She also has a bun in the old oven." "Perhaps the two are related." "Care to gargle a little firewater, Lloyd?" "A libation to little Randy, Jr." "Yeah, I'll have a gin and tonic." "The drink of champions." "Make it two." "You can sit down now, my love." "I'm sorry, my dear." "The Surgeon General says that pregnant women shouldn't drink." "Or did, before he died of the flu." "Right, Lloyd?" "There are four men on their way here from Boulder... strolling right up Route 73 for some mad reason... known only to themselves and their dead witch." "I want them bagged and I want them brought here." "Send out Barry Dorgan." "A dozen good men." "You want me to have some crosses made?" "I think something slightly more inventive may be in order here." "The natives seem restless, you know." "What about that skinny little bat-faced girl downstairs?" "What's her itch?" "She thinks she spotted their third spy night before last." "Says she saw him in Kansas... in the company of a young deaf- mute male." "I don't know, but this deaf-mute sure sounds like the one on their..." "What?" "What did I do?" "You let me go upstairs without telling me?" "I could pop your neck like a tick." "Maybe I should!" "I tried to tell." "You cut me off." "I hate this thing." "Look at this." " How's that drink, Lloyd?" " It looks great." "It's all over the wall." "I gotta tell you something, Lloyd." "For a guy who almost turned his cellmate into canapés..." " you've got a yard of guts, you know that?" " Thank you." "Doesn't he, Nadine?" "She says yes." "This guy that the girl with the big hair thinks she saw..." "What's his name?" "Tom Cullen." "Probably doesn't matter much." "Still." "Send out 100 men." "Put Russ Dorr in charge." "Maybe they'll get lucky and stumble across him." "What about Trash?" "What do you want me to do about him?" "Just remember... when he comes in, it's to be quick and painless." "Listen, R.F., is everything all right?" "Fine as fiddlesticks." "Why do you ask?" "Some of the folks are a little bit worried." "I'm a little bit worried myself, to tell you the truth." "That's all." "Everything's fine, Lloyd." "Everything will continue to be fine as long as you remember who's the boss... and who's got the power." "Right?" "Right." "They're coming for you, you know." "The old woman sent them before she died." "Get your ass back in here." "Everything you've made here is falling apart." "They're saying a simple retarded boy outwitted Randall Flagg." "They're saying Judge Farris got away from your men in Idaho." "He's as dead as Judas Iscariot." "They're asking questions about Dayna, too." "It's all slipping through your fingers." "And they're whispering, Randy." "I can see them, leaving their posts in the dead of night." "And your eye can't see them." "And when they come here..." "Stu... and Ralph... and Glen... and..." "When they get here... your time will end, and I'll be watching." "I'll be watching from hell, with your baby in my arms." "Come back in, Nadine." "I'll give you everything you could ever want." "Can you give me Larry again?" "Your seed is cold." "You lie!" "No!" "It doesn't matter." "No backing out now." "I'm staying right here." "Do you hear me?" "Right here." "The fire." "The big fire." "My life for you!" "So why'd you get me out here, Whit?" "Walls have ears?" "So?" "Me and some of the others are cutting loose." " Man, I must be crazy telling you this." " It's all right." "Cutting loose where?" "South America." "Near Rio." "Jenny's been there, and she says it's nice." "Fresh water, fresh fruit, ocean air... and just plain folks." "Ones who want to forget they ever hooked up... with His Infernal Majesty." " So what do you say?" " Me?" " I'm sticking." " Why?" " It's going bad here." "Can't you feel it?" " Maybe." "But he saved me from starving to death." "And that's not even the main thing." "He changed me, you know?" "And he trusted me." "So, yeah, I'm sticking." "Man, you're nuts." "You're probably right." "I thought there'd be whores." "I haven't seen any whores." "The man don't even want you to have a drink." "And dope?" "Forget about it." "I've been thinking." "I might not go back to Vegas at all." "Mexico ain't but 300 miles in that direction." " What was that?" " Just a deer." "They're all over." " Maybe we should go look." " Go ahead." "Why should I be out there wandering around in the dark... maybe break my leg for that freak in cowboy boots?" "You ought to watch it, Rich." "The man has a way of hearing things..." " and seeing things." " Flagg don't scare me." "Billy, toss me another one." "I gotta sit out here..." "M-O-O-N... that spells "moon."" "Someone ought to call the Utah State Highway Department about this." "Must've been a flash flood." "Damn mess." " Think you can make it, Glen?" " I think so." "What do you think, Kojak?" "Won't any of us do better than that." "Here goes." "Go for it, Professor!" "Shoot that curl!" "All right!" "Come on, guys!" "Look out, boy." "Come on, Stu!" " Piece of cake." " Yeah, maybe." "We were just lucky." "It felt to me like if you put one foot wrong, the whole embankment would go." "This side's not any better." "Okay, so who's first now?" "I'll go." "You guys wait till I'm all the way up." "Be careful." "Piece of cake." " There he goes." " He's all right." "You see." "I told you." "Piece of cake." "Oh, my God!" "Easy." "Easy." "It's not my head." "It's my..." " Just don't move." " My leg." "Just stay calm, Stu." "I'm okay." "Go ahead." "There." "It's done." "That's a good way to kill yourself, Bateman." " Where'd you get the soda?" " Tour bus..." " about a quarter of a mile west of here." " Thanks." "They had beer, too." "But I didn't want you taking these with alcohol." "I brought them with me for my arthritis." "Down the hatch." "Ralph and I will go next time, Glen." " Stay here with Stu and rest up." " Go where?" "We've got to make you a stretcher." "Get you out of here." "Hole up someplace." "Green River would be best." "No, Larry." " I'm not going." " What are you talking about?" "I'm saying no." "No trip to Green River." "No stretcher." " It's against the rules of the game." " This is no game, Stu." "Stu's right, Larry." "Mother Abagail said one of us would fall by the way." "What does that mean?" "What are you saying?" "You're a college professor, for God's sakes." "Not anymore." "In case you hadn't noticed, school is out." "I thought he was your friend!" "Of course he's my friend." "But that doesn't matter now." " It's God's plan." " Shut up about God." "I'm sick of hearing about God." "This whole trip was based on the idea... that Mother Abagail knew what she was talking about." " That's right." " It's not right!" "This isn't God's will or God's plan." "It's a washout and you've got a broken leg, Stu!" " I'm not gonna leave you here." " Larry, listen." " What?" " Listen." "When we came on this trip, we put our lives... in the hands of Mother Abagail's God." "Now that hasn't changed." "If he wants me to eat, he'll send food." "If he wants me to drink... he'll send rain." "That's his business." "Yours is to go against Flagg." "Now, you got to do that." "You got to go without me." "Do you know how crazy that sounds?" "Do you know how totally damn crazy that sounds?" "Thanks." "More than three or four would probably be fatal." "Do you know that?" "Yeah." "I suppose so." "Goodbye, Stu." "It's been good knowing you." "If we ever get back this way..." "If you do." "In the meantime, let's just leave it at "so long." Okay?" "Kojak!" "Come on, boy." "Go on, boy." "You better come back and get him." "Mother also used to say, "All things serve the will of God."" "Maybe that goes for big, dumb dogs, too." "Take good care of him, East Texas!" "Good dog, Kojak." "That's a good boy." "You want this?" "I guess it's about that time, isn't it?" "I'm getting worse, boy." "Looks like I'm gonna die of the flu after all." "That's pretty funny when you think about it." "Here, boy." "You go on." "I lost my appetite." "Go on." "I miss you, Frannie." "I miss you." "So." "Here it is." ""I will fear no evil."" "Let's go!" "Hold your fire." "Flagg wants them taken alive." "Halt!" "Right where you are." "Halt, he said." "How're you doing?" "Where's Stuart Redman?" "He met with a slight accident on the way here, Mr..." "He's Paul Burlson, my first deputy." "I'm Barry Dorgan, Chief of Vegas Security." " What kind of an accident?" " He stubbed his toe." "Mr. Drogan, Chief Dragon, Capt. Droogan, whatever you want to call yourself..." "Mr. Drogan, Chief Dragon, Capt. Droogan, whatever you want to call yourself... why don't we get on with this?" "All right." "By virtue of the power vested in me, smart-ass..." " you're under arrest." " In whose name?" " You know who I speak for." " Then why don't you say it?" "Or I'll say it for you." "He calls himself Randall Flagg... but who he really is, is an apostate of hell." "You got that on your little clipboard there, Mr. Burlson?" "I wonder if you men might give me your Social Security numbers." "All right, I want them split up." "Take laughing boy and the old man and put them in the back of my car." "Take Farmer John, put him in the back of yours, Ace." "Come on!" "Relax." "You don't need those." "That's why we came here." "We've got a message for your little tin god." "Tin god?" "Man, that's funny." "I spent 22 years on the Santa Monica PD." "I know what happens when guys like you end up running the show." "We haven't got a single addict in Vegas." "Can your people say the same?" "Even a man of your apparently limited intelligence... should be able to see that your experiences... with a few battered babies and drug abusers... doesn't justify your embrace of a monster." "That's great." "Very good." "You get the Rodney King Humanitarian Award for the day." "It's almost over for them now, Larry." "Can you feel it?" "I can feel it." "Never mind the cuffs." "Just get them in the cars." "Now." "Move!" "You're quite a piece of work, Mr. Cockroach." "We could take a lesson from you... especially in light of recent events." "I have an idea that I'll be gone... come this time tomorrow... but you'll still be trucking, won't you?" "Running your little roach errands." "It's a wrap on the roach." "Randall Flagg." "And not half the bogeyman we expected." "I'd like you to meet my associate, Mr. Lloyd Henreid." "Lloyd, meet Mr. Glen Bateman." "Pleased to meet you." "How's that arthritis, Glen?" "May I call you Glen?" "It looks painful." "I could fix that." "Would you like me to?" "No more swollen, screaming joints for the rest of your life." " All you have to do is ask." " What a deal." "Just ask." "Ask me to relieve your pain." "It's not so bad, really." "As for the rest of my life, how long might that be, anyway?" "Six hours?" "Twelve?" "Actually, I've decided to let you go." "Really?" "Marvelous." "Of course, I couldn't go without my friends." "Of course not." "No, you'll all go together." "Tomorrow morning." "Tonight, if you prefer." "Once again, all you have to do is ask." "Only, for a favor of this magnitude..." "I really think you ought to do it on your knees." "Stop it." " Stop laughing at me." " Sorry." "It's just that we made such a business of you... and it turns out you're nothing more than another cockroach... scurrying around, running little roach errands." "Shoot him." " What?" " You heard me." "Shoot him, you idiot!" "He's an old man." "Can't you do anything right?" "He's standing right in front of you!" "If you really feel you must shoot somebody..." "I suggest Flagg." "His world is crumbling, and we both know it." "I think we also both know he can do a lot of damage on his way down." "You could change that." "Shoot one of us, anyway." "I'm the one who got you out of jail when you were starving." "It was guys like him who put you in... and let the superflu loose in the first place, for that matter." "But you choose, Lloyd." "He lies, Mr. Henreid." "You know that, don't you?" "He told me more truth than anyone else in my whole lousy life." "It's all right, Mr. Henreid... you don't know any better." "Shut up, you mouthy old bastard!" "Think they just..." "Yeah, I do." ""Our Father, who art in heaven..." ""hallowed be thy name." ""Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth..."" ""Behold, a pale horse..." ""and him who rode upon it was Death."" "You must see what's coming, Stuart... and take back such news as will never be forgotten." "Now wake up." "Wake up!" "I can't." "I can't, Mother." "I got to get up there." "Stu!" "Take my hand." "Take hold of my hand." "Tommy?" "My leg." "How..." "I was way east of here and Nick told me I had to double back." "He can talk in my dreams, Stu." "Isn't that the limit?" "He can talk in my dreams, Stu." "Isn't that the limit?" "Yeah, Tommy, that's the limit." "Are you sick?" "Boy, you sound sick." "Laws, yes." "It's the flu, Tommy." "Ain't that a bitch?" " I got to get you inside somewhere." " No, not yet." "Why not, Stu?" "I don't know... but I think we're gonna find out soon, though." "We'll just wait here." "So why did you have to kill Glen?" "He tried to escape." "You know... one of these days you're gonna get shot trying to escape, Dorgan." "You, too, Ratty." "Yep." "One less Rat Man in the world." "Shut up that honky voodoo!" "Don't be an ass!" " What is that?" " You gonna see soon enough." "Kill!" "Move on!" "Get out, gray meat." "Disco is dead!" "Kill them!" "Kill them both!" " Hadn't you better stop them?" " Only Flagg can do that." "Unless he shows, they'll take them if they want them." "Here you go, gray meat." "Play us a little traveling music." "Where you going, you gonna be traveling, I guarantee." "Back off!" "Keep back, damn it." "Keep back." "Move out of the way." "If they move in any closer, blow a few heads off." "Hey, ain't you famous?" "Now I'm famous, too." " Hold on!" " I'm trying." "Tie them up." "Do a good job." "If I can just think about my mother..." "Put the cuffs on!" "Do you think that scares me, Dorgan?" "At this point, a shot in the head looks pretty good to me." " Don't make this harder than it has to be." " You think I could do that?" "Tell me something, Chief." "They teach you this one in Santa Monica PD?" "You propose nothing in the sight of God." ""I will fear no evil."" "Listen to me!" "All of you!" "I don't expect you to stop this... but you better remember what you see here tonight!" "Because the next time it may be your turn to die this way." "Finished, Mr. Underwood?" "You're the one who's finished." "I take that as a yes." "'"I, Randall Flagg, do hereby state that these--'"" "Why don't you tell them your real name?" "'"...do hereby state that these men are the insurrectionists..." "'"responsible for the destruction of our unarmed scout planes at Indian Springs..." "'"and for the murder of Carl Hough." "'"For these crimes, they are sentenced to death by dismemberment." "'"It is the duty of each of you to witness this punishment. '"" "However, those of you with small children are excused." "Take it, Barry." "Hey, you people." "This ain't how Americans act." "We got to stop this." "Whitney." "You should have kept still." "I would have let you go." "Why would I want to keep a jellyfish like you around, anyway?" "Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase '"my lips are sealed, '" doesn't it, Whitney?" "The fire for you." "The big one for you!" "It's a bomb." "He's got a bomb!" "Get him out of here, Lloyd." "I brought it for you." "For you!" "Get him!" "My life for you." "Trash?" "That you, Lloyd?" "I can't see very well." "My eyes, they're all funny." "It's me, Trashy." "What do you have there?" "The big one." "The fire." "The A-bomb." "The fire for you!" "Listen to me, Trash." "You have to get that away." "It's dangerous." "Come back." "Come back, you cowards." "Shoot him, Lloyd." "Kill the crazy bastard." "The promise has been kept as God has willed it." "Amen." "Larry." "Do you see it?" "The hand of God." "Get it away!" "The fire." "Amazing Grace." "You've done good, boys." "Come on home." "Take us home." ""I saw a pale horse..." ""and a pale rider upon it..." ""and the name of the horse was Pestilence..." ""and the name of the rider was Death."" "What was it, Stu?" "It's the end of Las Vegas." "And the end of Randall Flagg... if God is good." "What about Glen and Larry?" "What about Ralph?" " You ready, Tom?" " Okay." "Please, God, just a little help." "Okay." "Let's give it a try." " Okay." "Hop in." "Come on." " Okay." "Here goes." "Is it gonna be okay, Stu?" "Is it gonna be okay?" "Yeah, I think maybe we just caught us a break." "This'll make you feel better, Stu." "It's peanut butter and jelly." "M-O-O-N, that spells "peanut butter and jelly."" "My momma always made it for me when I was feeling poorly." "Always perked me up." "Please eat, Stu." "You gotta eat." "If you don't eat, you'll die." "I'll be alone, Stu." "You gotta eat for me." "Please, Stu." "Don't die." "Tom." "Is it really you?" "Stu said you were dead." "Stu's very sick, you know." "I know." "He's got the flu." "I tried to feed him like my momma used to... but he wouldn't eat." "I'm scared, Nick." "It's all right." "I know what to do." "Come on, Tom." "This'll make you better." "Laws, yes." "How'd you know to get this stuff, Tommy?" "Nick told me." "In my dreams, he can talk." "Did I ever tell you that?" "Yeah, I think you did." "Tommy, what's wrong?" "I can't remember what Nick looked like anymore." "He was the best friend I ever had." "Gave me a bike." "He was always good to me." "I can't remember him anymore." "I'm so stupid." "I can't remember nothing." "There's a lot of important stuff you didn't forget." "I'm still alive." "I wouldn't be if it wasn't for you." "We really going home, Stu?" "Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz?" "You bet." "We're going home." "This is nuts, you know." "Won't be anybody else in here this winter." "It is winter." "It's early, but it is here." "Now be careful." " It could be Stu or it could be" " Hell, it could be anybody!" "Who is it there?" "You guys identify yourselves or we're gonna shoot." "It's them!" "Man, I don't believe it." "What happened to your leg, Stu?" "I broke it." "Never mind." "We're frozen." "Let's get in the truck." "Then I want you to take me home to see Frannie." "What?" "Come on." "What's wrong?" "What is it?" "I don't exactly know how to tell you this, Stu..." " What?" "What is it?" " Well, it's the baby." "It's come early, and it's got the flu." "Is this a dream?" "No, darling." "It's no dream." "I can't believe..." "So now I'm just waiting for it to be over." "Then maybe you and I can think about starting all over again." "But George says that there's no way of knowing... if any of the babies are gonna be immune." " Let's not think about that now, Frannie." " I can't help it." "I have this big black hole in the middle of me." "I can't help thinking, what did we all do this for?" "Why?" "You propose nothing in the sight of God." " For now, there's us at least, you know?" " I know." "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you." "How glad all of us are." " Hey, Doc." " The baby's dead, isn't it?" "No." "Quite the opposite." "I believe the crisis has passed." "You mean... she's going to be all right?" "Yes." "I think the baby's going to live." "It was a tough battle... and a lot of the Year One babies may not do as well as this one." "But when both parents are immune... we will see the last of Captain Trips." "It's a miracle." "Yes, indeed." "You've got a beautiful daughter, Fran." "You take good care of her." "I will." "We will." "Hi." " We can come back later" " No." "You're limping." " I hear you're pregnant." " Yeah." "Lucy, Larry..." "No, I know." "I know what happened." "I'm sure that when the end came... they met it on their feet." "That's what they were sent out there to do, wasn't it?" "To stand?" "I reckon it was." "He's gone... but I'll have his baby." "Maybe it's not all I wanted or all I dreamed of having... but it'll have to be enough." "Don't cry." "She's gonna be just fine." "She's so beautiful." "No, I'm not crying for her." "It's all the others, all those empty cradles." "Peek, baby!" "I know, honey, they're looking at the baby." "Ain't you beautiful?" "Just as gorgeous as dawn in Eden." "Do you think people can change?" "Do you think that's possible?" "I don't know." "I really don't know." "Maybe she does." "English"