a direction he doesn't want to go, and he hates it. He grins without humor at HATCH, who stands pudgy and determined behind his flashlight.
ROBBIE
You're the one who keeps putting that department store dummy on the porch of the store. Do you think I don't know that?
HATCH
We can talk about it later on, if you want. Right now the only thing matters is that we've got bad trouble tonight . . . and not just the storm. I can't make you pitch in and help if you don't want to, but I can make sure that when this is over, people know you were asked . . . and you said no.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 151
HENRY I'll come, Hatch.
KIRK
Good boy!
HENRY opens the door on his side preparatory to getting out and joining HATCH and KIRK. ROBBIE grabs him by the jacket and hauls him back into his seat.
ROBBIE
CHAPTER 14
All right . . . but I'll remember this.
HATCH You do that. Did you lock the place up?
ROBBIE
(contemptuously) Of course. Do you think I'm stupid?
HATCH won't touch that one with a ten-foot pole . . . although he probably could if he wasn't set on being as diplomatic as possible. He only nods and starts slogging back toward the Island Services vehicle, his flashlight cutting arcs through the falling snow. HENRY opens his door again to call after him.
HENRY
Can you raise the town hall on the CB? Tell Carla and Sandy we're okay?
HATCH gives him a thumbs-up and climbs into the truck. He revs the engine, then pulls slowly around so he's headed back toward the market, all four wheels whirring and spuming up snow. The Sno-Cat, with ROBBIE at the controls, follows.
43 INTERIOR: THE CAB OF THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH HATCH.
HATCH (on the radio) Ursula? Are you there, Ursula? Come on back?
152 STEPHEN KING
44 INTERIOR: THE TOWN OFFICE.
There's a good-sized crowd, very anxious, grouped around URSULA. Among them is FERD ANDREWS, now out of his coat, sipping a hot drink and wearing a blanket. Also prominent are MOLLY, CARLA, and SANDY, who now has DON with her, for comfort.
HATCH (staticky radio voice) . . . sala? . . . Come on ... ack . . .
URSULA ignores the voice for a moment, holding the mike against her shoulder and looking uneasily at the crowd, which is hemming her in even more closely now, eager to hear any fresh news. These are her neighbors, sure, but . . .
MOLLY sees the incipient agoraphobic reaction and turns to the crowd.
MOLLY
Come on, folks, give Ursula some room. Back off ... If we hear anything, you'll know.
TESS MARCHANT
(joining in)
Move back! Move back! If you don't have anything else to do, go on downstairs and watch the storm on the Weather Network!
UPTON BELL
Can't! The cable's out!
But they move back and give URSULA some room. She flashes MOLLY and TESS a look of thanks, then raises the microphone and pushes the transmit button.
URSULA
You're weak, but I've got you, Hatch. Talk slow and loud, come on back.
45 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH HATCH.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 153
HATCH
Robbie and Henry are fine. Thought you'd want to know that, come back.
46 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL, FEATURING URSULA.
SANDRA BEALS and CARLA BRIGHT both register relief. DON, never one to rest for long when there are toys to be destroyed and peers to humiliate, tears free of his mother and hurtles back downstairs.
DON BEALS
My dad's okay! He's the town manager! He can pass a football nine miles! Last year he sold a billion-billion dollars of insurance! Who wants to play monkey?
URSULA Is Lloyd Wishman really dead, Hatch?
47 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH HATCH.
He hesitates and exchanges a glance with KIRK FREEMAN. No help there. HATCH knows he must be careful; deciding what information to give out and what to sit on is really MIKE'S job. He checks the rearview, just to make sure the Sno-Cat's still behind him. It is.
HATCH
Uh . . . I don't know all the details yet, Urse. Just tell Sandy and Carla their boys'll be a while longer. Mike wants 'em over to the store for a little bit.
URSULA (very staticky voice) Why . . . ore? Is that . . . ocked up? Molly wants . . . know . . .
HATCH
Can't hear you very well, Urse you're breakin' up. I'll try you again in a little while. This is Island Services, 10-60 by.
He hangs up the mike with an expression of guilty relief, sees KIRK looking at him, and gives KIRK a little