The Talisman

and out, his fist swallowed in Wolf’s, blood pouring onto the floor from Wolf’s fist.
    People crowded back into the doorway. Casey, Warwick, Sonny Singer, three more big guys. And Sunlight Gardener, with a small black case, like a glasses-case, in one hand.
    ‘ That’s enough, I said! ’ Jack took one look at the newcomers and raced toward Wolf. ‘ Right here and now! Right here and now! ’
    ‘All right,’ Wolf said quietly. He let go of Heck’s hand, and Jack saw a horrible crushed thing that looked like a mangled pinwheel. Heck’s fingers stuck off at jagged angles. Heck mewled and held his destroyed hand against his chest.
    ‘All right, Jack.’
    The six of them grabbed Wolf. Wolf made a half-turn, slipped one arm free, pushed, and suddenly Warwick went rattling against the wall. Someone screamed.
    ‘Hold him!’ Gardener yelled. ‘Hold him! Hold him, for Jesus’ sake!’ He was opening the flat black case.
    ‘ No, Wolf! ’ Jack shouted. ‘ Quit it! ’
    For a moment Wolf went on struggling, and then he slumped back, allowing them to push him to the wall. To Jack they looked like Lilliputians clinging to Gulliver. Sonny looked afraid of Wolf at last.
    ‘Hold him,’ Gardener repeated, taking a glittering hypodermic out of the flat case. That mincing, almost coy smile had come onto his face. ‘Hold him, praise Jesus!’
    ‘You don’t need that,’ Jack said.
    ‘Jack?’ Wolf looked suddenly frightened. ‘Jack? Jack? ’
    Gardener, headed for Wolf, pushed Jack as he went by. There was good whipcord muscle in that push. Jack went reeling into Morton, who squealed and shrank away as if Jack were contaminated. Belatedly, Wolf began to struggle again – but they were six, and that was too many. Perhaps, when the Change was on him, it wouldn’t have been.
    ‘ Jack! ’ he howled. ‘ Jack! Jack! ’
    ‘Hold him, praise God,’ Gardener whispered, his lips skinned back brutally from his teeth, and plunged the hypodermic into Wolf’s arm.
    Wolf went rigid, threw his head back, and howled.
    Kill you, you bastard , Jack thought incoherently. Kill you, kill you, kill you .
    Wolf struggled and thrashed. Gardener stood back, watching coldly. Wolf got a knee up into Casey’s expansive gut. Casey whoofed air out, staggered backward, then came back. A minute or two later, Wolf began first to flag . . . then to sag.
    Jack got to his feet, weeping with rage. He tried to plunge toward the knot of white turtlenecks holding his friend – as he watched he saw Casey swing a fist into Wolf’s drooping face, and saw blood begin to pour from Wolf’s nose.
    Hands held him back. He struggled, then looked around and saw the frightened faces of the boys he picked rocks with in Far Field.
    ‘I want him in the Box,’ Gardener said as Wolf’s knees finally buckled. He looked slowly around at Jack:‘Unless . . . perhaps you’d like to tell me where we’ve met before, Mr Parker?’
    Jack stood looking down at his feet, saying nothing. His eyes stung and burned with hot, hateful tears.
    ‘The Box, then,’ Gardener said. ‘You may feel different when he starts to vocalize, Mr Parker.’
    Gardener strode out.
    5
    Wolf was still screaming in the Box when Jack and the other boys were marched down to morning-chapel. Sunlight Gardener’s eyes seemed to dwell ironically on Jack’s pale, strained face. Perhaps now, Mr Parker?
    Wolf, it’s my mother, my mother –
    Wolf was still screaming when Jack and the other boys scheduled for fieldwork were split into two groups and marched out to the trucks. As he passed near the box. Jack had to suppress an urge to jam his hands over his ears. Those growls, those gibbering sobs.
    All at once Sonny Singer was at his shoulder.
    ‘Reverend Gardener’s in his office waiting to take your confession right this minute, snotface,’ he said. ‘Told me to tell you he’ll let the dummy out of the Box the minute you tell him what he wants to know.’ Sonny’s voice was silky, his face dangerous.
    Wolf, screaming and howling to be let out, pounding the home-riveted iron sides of the Box with a fury of blows.
    Ah, Wolf, she’s my MOTHER –
    ‘I can’t tell him what he wants to know,’ Jack said. He turned suddenly toward Sonny, turning the force of whatever had come into him in the Territories upon Sonny. Sonny took two giant steps backward, his face dismayed and sickly scared. He tripped over his own feet and stumbled into the side of one of the idling trucks. If it