the can and they all heard the familiar pop-hisss of carbonation, mainstay of a hundred soft-drink commercials. He took a deep drink. When he lowered the can he was grinning... but there were tears in his eyes.
"Gentlemen, the Pepsi-Cola is also very good today," he said in a plummy headwaiter's tones, and they all began to laugh.
13
Don Gaffney caught up with Laurel and Dinah just as they entered the restaurant. "I thought I'd better - " he began, and then stopped. He looked around. "Oh, shit. Where is he?"
"I don't - " Laurel began, and then, from beside her, Dinah Bellman said, "Be quiet."
Her head turned slowly, like the lamp of a dead searchlight. For a moment there was no sound at all in the restaurant... at least no sound Laurel could hear.
"There," Dinah said at last, and pointed toward the cash register. "He's hiding over there. Behind something."
"How do you know that?" Don asked in a dry, nervous voice. "I don't hear - "
"I do," Dinah said calmly. "I hear his fingernails on metal. And I hear his heart. It's beating very fast and very hard. He's scared to death. I feel so sorry for him." She suddenly disengaged her hand from Laurel's and stepped forward.
"Dinah, no!" Laurel screamed.
Dinah took no notice. She walked toward the cash register, arms out, fingers seeking possible obstacles. The shadows seemed to reach for her and enfold her.
"Mr Toomy? Please come out. We don't want to hurt you. Please don't be afraid - "
A sound began to rise from behind the cash register. It was a high, keening scream. It was a word, or something which was trying to be a word, but there was no sanity in it.
"Youuuuuuuuuuu"
Craig arose from his hiding place, eyes blazing, butcher knife upraised, suddenly understanding that it was her, she was one of them, behind those dark glasses she was one of them, she was not only a langolier but the head langolier, the one who was calling the others, calling them with her dead blind eyes.
"Youuuuuuuuuuu"
He rushed at her, shrieking. Don Gaffney shoved Laurel out of his way, almost knocking her to the floor, and leaped forward. He was fast, but not fast enough. Craig Toomy was crazy, and he moved with the speed of a langolier himself. He approached Dinah at a dead-out run. No scampering for him.
Dinah made no effort to draw away. She looked up from her darkness and into his, and now she held her arms out, as if to enfold him and comfort him.
"Yoooouuuuuuuu"
"It's all right, Mr Toomy," she said. "Don't be afr - " And then Craig buried the butcher knife in her chest and ran past Laurel into the terminal, still shrieking.
Dinah stood where she was for a moment. Her hands found the wooden handle jutting out of the front of her dress and her fingers fluttered over it, exploring it. Then she sank slowly, gracefully, to the floor, becoming just another shadow in the growing darkness.
Chapter 7
Dinah in the Valley of the Shadow. The Fastest Toaster East of the Mississippi. Racing Against Time. Nick Makes a Decision.
1
Albert, Brian, Bob, and Nick passed the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich around. They each got two bites and then it was gone... but while it lasted, Albert thought he had never sunk his teeth into such wonderful chow in his life. His belly awakened and immediately began clamoring for more.
"I think our bald friend Mr Warwick is going to like this part best," Nick said, swallowing. He looked at Albert. "You're a genius, Ace. You know that, don't you? Nothing but a pure genius."
Albert flushed happily. "It wasn't much," he said. "Just a little of what Mr Jenkins calls the deductive method. If two streams flowing in different directions come together, they mix and make a whirlpool. I saw what was happening with Bethany's matches and thought something like that might be happening here. And there was Mr Gaffney's bright-red shirt. It started to lose its color. So I thought, well, if stuff starts to fade when it's not on the plane anymore, maybe if you brought faded stuff onto the plane, it would - "
"I hate to interrupt," Bob said softly, "but I think that if we intend to try and get back, we should start the process as soon as possible. The sounds we are hearing worry me, but there's something else that worries me more. This airplane is not a closed system. I think there's a good chance that before long