Part 21 (1/2)
The sheriff took a pair of handcuffs from his pocket ”Fot to use these on sentenced prisoners”
Daniel looked at him, then silently held out his hands The handcuffs clicked and locked around his wrists
The sheriff looked at hiry, are you, Dan'l?”
Daniel shook his head ”No, Sher'f Why should I be? It's over Now, it it”
But he never did
Now The air brakes hissed as the big trailer truck pulled to the side of the highway The door swung open and the driver stared at us as I got out of the cab I held up my hand to help Anne down
''You kids are crazy,” the driver said ''Gittin' off in the middle o' nowhere It's thirty-five miles down the road to Fitchville an' fifty miles back to the next town An' nothin' in between exceptout of the cab I picked up the backpacks 'Thanks for the lift,” I said
He stared at me ”Okay But be careful These people ain't exactly friendly toward strangers Sometimes they shoot before they ask question”
”We'll be all right,” I said
He nodded and closed the door We watched the truck pick up speed, and in a hway traffic I turned to Anne She hadn't spoken until now
”Do you knohere we're going?” she asked
I nodded
Her voice turned sarcastic ”Mind telling me?”
I let my eyes scan the countryside, then pointed at a s above the trees about a mile from the road ”There”
She looked at the hill, then back at et there,” I said, I scrahway When I looked back she was still standing there, staring down at ?”
She nodded and started down after ht her and she ca After a htened”
I looked into her eyes ”Don't be,” I said ”You're with me”
It took us almost two hours to reach the crest of the hill, another half-hour to the knoll about a quarter of the way down the other side I dropped round I took a deep breath, then, on rass
”What are you doing?” she asked
”Looking for so,” I said, and at the saular in shape, the upper surface slanting slightly toward rass and weeds ftom around it It was a block of stone noand a foot wide Withit until the letters etched into the stone were clear and sharp
HUGGINS
Her voice was soft behind me ”What have you found?”
I looked once rave”
”You knehere it was?” she asked
I shook my head ”No”
”Then, how?”
”I don't know,” I said
206
'Tell her, son I told you'
Youre dead You never toldeven while you were alive''
'7 told you everything You weren't listening”
''What h was the deep, heavy chuckle I had heard all my life ''You haven't any choice now I'o, Father You're dead And I haveyet You have time First you have to lead mine Then you'll be able to lead your own”
”shi+t”
”Exactly” The deep, heavy chuckle again ”But you'll have to learn hoalk before you can run”
”And you're going to teachto do that with seven feet of dirt sitting on your head up there in Scarsdale?”
”I told you I'm in every cell of your body I a as you live I'll be there”
”But someday I'll be dead too Then where will you be?”
'' With you In your child'' The man's voice came from behind us ”Turn aroun' slow and don't ot to my feet Anne put her hand in mine, and sloe turned toward the man He was tall and thin, faded overalls and work shi+rt, sun-squint lines etched around his eyes, a wide-briun pointing at us across the crook in his elbow ''Didn't you see the No Trespass signs along the path?”
”We didn't cohway”
'Turn aroun' and go back the way you came Whatever you was lookin' fer, you won' fin' it here”
I ah-eady found what I was looking for,” I said, pointing to the headstone on the ground
He stepped to one side and looked down at it ”Huggins,” he said softly, pronouncing it with a soft G 'What's that got to do with you?”