Part 21 (2/2)

”h.e.l.lo, Miss Walker,” a tentative voice said. The view in the doorway rose so suddenly that even Eddie was a bit dizzied and he saw a saleswoman who obviously knew the owner of the black hands-knew her and either didn't like her or feared her. Or both. ”Help you today?”

”This one.” The owner of the black hands held up a white scarf with a bright blue edge. ”Don't bother to wrap it up, babe, just stick it in a bag.”

”Cash or ch-”

”Cash, it's always cash, isn't it?”

”Yes, that's fine, Miss Walker.”

”I'm so glad you approve, dear.”

There was a little grimace on the salesgirl's face-Eddie just caught it as she turned away. Maybe it was something as simple as being talked to that way by a woman the salesgirl considered an ”uppity n.i.g.g.e.r” (again it was more his experience in movie theaters than any knowledge of history or even life on the streets as he had lived it that caused this thought, because this was like watching a movie either set or made in the '60s, something like that one with Sidney Steiger and Rod Poitier, In the Heat of the Night In the Heat of the Night), but it could also be something even simpler: Roland's Lady of the Shadows was, black or white, one rude b.i.t.c.h.

And it didn't really matter, did it? None of it made a d.a.m.ned bit of difference. He cared about one thing and one thing only and that was getting the f.u.c.k out. out.

That was New York, he could almost smell smell New York. New York.

And New York meant smack.

He could almost smell that, too.

Except there was a hitch, wasn't there?

One big motherf.u.c.ker of a hitch.

8.

Roland watched Eddie carefully, and although he could have killed him six times over at almost any time he wanted, he had elected to remain still and silent and let Eddie work the situation out for himself. Eddie was a lot of things, and a lot of them were not nice (as a fellow who had consciously let a child drop to his death, the gunslinger knew the difference between nice and not quite well), but one thing Eddie wasn't was stupid.

He was a smart kid.

He would figure it out.

So he did.

He looked back at Roland, smiled without showing his teeth, twirled the gunslinger's revolver once on his finger, clumsily, burlesquing a show-shooter's fancy coda, and then he held it out to Roland, b.u.t.t first.

”This thing might as well be a piece of s.h.i.+t for all the good it can do me, isn't that right?”

You can talk bright when you want to, Roland thought. Roland thought. Why do you so often choose to talk stupid, Eddie? Is it because you think that's the way they talked in the place where your brother went with his guns? Why do you so often choose to talk stupid, Eddie? Is it because you think that's the way they talked in the place where your brother went with his guns?

”Isn't that right?” Eddie repeated.

Roland nodded.

”If I had had plugged you, what would have happened to that door?” plugged you, what would have happened to that door?”

”I don't know. I suppose the only way to find out would be to try it and see.”

”Well, what do you think think would happen?” would happen?”

”I think it would disappear.”

Eddie nodded. That was what he thought, too. Poof! Gone like magic! Now ya see it, my friends, now ya don't. It was really no different than what would happen if the projectionist in a movie-theater were to draw a six-shooter and plug the projector, was it?

If you shot the projector, the movie stopped.

Eddie didn't want the picture to stop.

Eddie wanted his money's worth.

”You can go through by yourself,” Eddie said slowly.

”Yes.”

”Sort of.”

”Yes.”

”You wind up in her head. Like you wound up in mine.”

”Yes.”

”So you can hitchhike into my world, but that's all.”

Roland said nothing. Hitchhike Hitchhike was one of the words Eddie sometimes used that he didn't exactly understand... but he caught the drift. was one of the words Eddie sometimes used that he didn't exactly understand... but he caught the drift.

”But you could could go through in your body. Like at Balazar's.” He was talking out loud but really talking to himself. ”Except you'd need me for that, wouldn't you?” go through in your body. Like at Balazar's.” He was talking out loud but really talking to himself. ”Except you'd need me for that, wouldn't you?”

”Yes.”

”Then take me with you.”

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