Part 19 (1/2)

”This is gla.s.s, you moron!” said Arthur. ”You're gonna get us killed!”

”Three,” said Walter, and with all his considerable strength he toppled the entertainment unit forward. At exactly that moment, two things happened. One was that Henry squeezed the trigger. The other was that Roger, having decided that he had just enough time in his busy schedule to check in with his new friends, ran headfirst into Henry's groin. The result was that the bullet, instead of pa.s.sing through Arthur's skull, pa.s.sed just over it. It could be argued that this was actually unfortunate for Arthur, in light of what happened next, which was that Arthur, dragged by the heavy steel shelf through the shattering window, was hurled forward headfirst to the patio, where he landed, dazed, facedown in Roger's dish, with his lips and nose pressed firmly against the Enemy Toad.

The toad, which was not about to share Roger's food, immediately emptied the glands behind its eyes, emitting two substantial, milky, highly hallucinogenic squirts of bufotenine directly into Arthur's face. Arthur moaned and yanked his head out of the dish. The toad went back to eating.

Henry and Leonard were heading for the wall, not running, but walking briskly in the dark.

”You get him?” asked Leonard.

”I think so,” said Henry. ”The dog ran into me, but I definitely saw our boy go down.”

”Cop went down, too,” said Leonard.

”Yeah,” said Henry. ”I think he ducked when he heard the shot.”

”You got any idea why a cop would be helpin' our boy carry a big-a.s.s shelf around the house?” asked Leonard.

”No,” said Henry.

”Weirdsville f.u.c.kin' USA,” said Leonard.

”What kinda street name is Garbanzo?” asked Greer. He was reading the map; Seitz was driving. ”Listen to these other streets they got here. Loquat. k.u.mquat. You believe that? k.u.mquat. Turn left here. You think they got our suitcase?”

”Sure sounds like it,” said Seitz. ”I mean, we been wrong before on this, but I tend to believe old Ivan was telling the truth.”

”Me, too,” said Greer. ”He definitely did not wanna get his other shoe ventilated. That's it there, 238 Garbanzo, on the ... What happened to the gate?”

”Somebody left in a hurry,” said Seitz.

”Goin' where, I wonder,” said Greer.

”Let's hope somebody inside can help us with that,” said Seitz.

Walter was crouched in a pile of shattered gla.s.s, struggling to right the entertainment unit. He was getting no help from Arthur, who was still p.r.o.ne on the other side, moaning and rubbing his burning face with his free hand.

”Come ON,” Walter said, shaking the shelving. ”Get UP.”

”My face!” moaned Arthur. ”It got my face!”

”Well, whatever it is,” said Walter, ”we can get you some help if we get this thing ... ”

”GET AWAY!” Arthur screamed. ”OHMIG.o.d GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Arthur was screaming at Roger, who was a few feet in front of him, enthusiastically snorking up a few pieces of kibble that had flown out of his dish when Arthur's face landed in it. Hearing the screams, Roger glanced up for a moment and wagged his tail to let Arthur know that he would be over to say hi just as soon as he had completed the important work at hand.

”For chrissakes,” said Walter. ”It's a dog. It's your dog.”

Arthur turned to Walter, his face contorted by terror. ”Can't you SEE?” he said. ”You can't SEE her?”

”See what?” asked Walter. ”What're you talking about?”

”HER!” said Arthur. ”It's HER!!”

”Who?” asked Walter.

”THAT WOMAN!” said Arthur, pointing at the happily wagging Roger. ”The one with the guy, you know ... Bob Dole! His wife!”

Walter looked at Arthur, then at Roger, then back at Arthur. He said, ”You think that's Elizabeth Dole?”

”YES!” said Arthur. ”IT'S HER!” He was looking right at her, and she was definitely Elizabeth Dole, a woman he had always found vaguely scary, right in front of him, on his patio. But at the same time she was not Elizabeth Dole. She had Elizabeth Dole's face and highly disciplined hair, but her eyes were glowing red malevolent orbs, and she had huge, sharp teeth. Also she was eating kibble. Arthur knew-he knew-that she was a demon form of Elizabeth Dole, and she was here to take his soul.

”GO AWAY!” Arthur screamed at the demon Elizabeth Dole. She stared back at him, her eyes glowing, her demon tail wagging. She opened her fanged mouth and spoke to him, spoke his name in a terrible voice.

”Herk!” said Elizabeth Dole. ”Herk! Herk!”

”NO!” said Arthur, jerking violently on his handcuffed arm, trying to crawl backward. ”NO!”

”STOP IT!” said Walter. ”That's a DOG, G.o.ddammit!” But he got no response from Arthur, who was staring at Roger, whimpering. He had also started foaming from the mouth. Walter, realizing that he was not going to get any help, grabbed the entertainment unit and started to lift it, and with it Arthur at the other end. Grunting, he raised it a foot, only to drop it again when he heard the voice behind him.

”You OK there, officer?”

Walter twisted around and saw two men, one tall and one short, both wearing suits, standing in the gaping hole that had been the sliding door.

”Who're you?” he asked.

The tall one flipped open a badge wallet.

”FBI,” he said. ”My name is Agent Pat Greer. This is Alan Seitz.”

”Thank G.o.d,” said Walter. ”Listen, I need you to ... ”

”We're looking for an Arthur Herk,” said Greer.

”That's him over there,” said Walter, pointing toward Arthur. ”But listen, I need you to ... ”

”Not now,” said Greer.

”But my partner is ... ”

”I said not now,” said Greer.