now. He moves the blocks himself, making "LINOGE" into "LONIEG." And suddenly, MIKE sees it. His eyes WIDEN WITH HORROR.
MIKE
Jesus and the disciples in the country of the Gadarenes. Book of Mark. Oh my God.
KIRK
Huh?
MIKE
They met a man with an unclean spirit; that's what it says in the Gospel. A man with demons inside of him. He lived among the tombs, and no man could bind him, not even with chains. Jesus cast the demons into a herd of pigs that ran into the ocean and drowned themselves. But before he cast them out, Jesus asked their names. And the thing inside said
KIRK is watching him with increasing fright as MIKE manipulates the blocks.
MIKE "Our name is Legion, for we are many."
Now the blocks that spelled "LINOGE" spell "LEGION." MIKE and KIRK stare at each other, wide-eyed.
275 INTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE CUSTODIAN'S CLOSET.
RALPHIE opens the door and looks up at ANDRE LINOGE. In one hand, LINOGE grips his wolf's head cane. The other is behind his back. LINOGE is smiling.
256 STEPHEN KING
LINOGE It's a present for the fairy-saddle boy. Come and see.
RALPHIE enters the custodian's closet. The door swings shut.
THIS ENDS PART TWO.
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lift
PART 3 The Reckoning
Act 1
1 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND MARKET AFTERNOON.
The snow is falling as hard as ever. The porch is almost completely buried beneath one huge, dunelike drift from floor to roof overhang. Parked in front is the big Sno-Cat MIKE and the others took out on the reprovisioning expedition. From its side door to the door of the market, a notch almost like a tunnel has been dug. The four men MIKE ANDERSON, SONNY BRAUTIGAN, HENRY BRIGHT, and KIRK FREEMAN are just entering.
2 INTERIOR: THE MARKET, BY THE CASH REGISTERS AFTERNOON.
The men make their way in, gasping and shedding snow. SONNY and HENRY have shovels. We can see their BREATH in the air, and the place is very dim.
SONNY
Gennie's out.
(MIKE nods) How long, do you think?
MIKE
Hard to tell. Since morning, anyway, from the way it feels. Snow probably piled up and blocked the exhaust.
He goes to the cash registers, bends beneath one, and begins to toss out big cardboard cartons.
257
258 STEPHEN KING
MIKE
Sonny, Henry. You're Meat Patrol. Get the big cuts of beef, plus the turkeys and chicken. The best stuffs back in the freezer.
HENRY
Will it still be all right, do you think?
MIKE
Are you kidding? It won't even be thawed yet. Come on, let's go. Dark's gonna come early.
SONNY and HENRY start up toward the cooler and the freezer beyond. KIRK comes over to the checkout and takes one of the cartons.
MIKE
We'll stick to the canned goods, this trip. All of us'll come back for bread, potatoes, and vegetables. And milk. Little kids have to have milk.
KIRK
You gonna tell 'em about what the guy's name spells when you move the blocks around?
MIKE What good would it do?
KIRK I dunno. God, Mike, that gave me a chill.
MIKE
Me, too. And for the time being, maybe we better just . . . keep the chill to ourselves. We've still got at least one more night to get through.
KIRK But
MIKE Come on. Canned goods. Let's load up. ,
I
STORM OF THE CENTURY 259
He starts up the aisle containing the overturned card table, and after a moment or two's consideration, KIRK follows.
3 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL AFTERNOON.
We can barely see it in all the snow, but at regular intervals we can hear the BLARE OF A HORN.
4 EXTERIOR: THE PARKING LOT AFTERNOON.
The Island Services vehicle is idling here, not too far from the town hall's side door. It's not going to go anywhere not even a four-wheel drive can move in five feet of snow but the lights are on and we can see one man standing outside and another inside. The one behind the wheel is HATCH. The one outside, wearing his V.F.D. parka and peering anxiously into the snow, is FERD ANDREWS. The window between them is open. Snow is blowing into the cab of the truck, but at this point, neither man cares.
FERD cups his hands around his mouth and hollers into the SHRIEKING WIND as loud as he can.
FERD
Angle Carver! Billy Timmons!
HATCH
Any sign? Any at all?
FERD No! Wouldn't I tell you? Keep blowin' that thing!
HATCH continues to lay on the horn in long, measured beats. FERD peers anxiously into the snow, then turns and yanks open the door.
FERD
You watch and let me honk your eyes're better.
They change places.
HATCH
(squinting into the snow) George Kirby! Janie Kingsbury! Where are you guys?
260 STEPHEN KING
FERD keeps blowing the horn in long, measured BLASTS.
5 INTERIOR: THE