It

is like picking up a beat and dancing to it. Using intuition is a hard thing for grownups to do, and that’s the main reason I think it might be the right thing for us to do. Kids, after all, operate on it about eighty percent of the time, at least until they’re fourteen or so.’
‘You’re talking about plugging back into the situation,’ Eddie said.
‘I suppose so. Anyway, that’s my idea. If no specific place to go comes to you, just follow your feet and see where they take you. Then we meet tonight, at the library, and talk over what happened.’
‘If anything happens,’ Ben said.
‘Oh, I think things will.’
‘What sort of things?’ Bill asked.
Mike shook his head. ‘I have no idea. I think whatever happens is apt to be unpleasant. I think it’s even possible that one of us may not turn up at the library tonight. No reason for thinking that . . . except that intuition thing again.’
Silence greeted this.
‘Why alone?’ Beverly asked finally. ‘If we’re supposed to do this as a group, why do you want us to start alone, Mike? Especially if the risk really turns out to be as high as you think it might be?’
‘I think I can answer that,’ Bill said.
‘Go ahead, Bill,’ Mike said.
‘It started alone for each of us,’ Bill said to Beverly. ‘I don’t remember everything — not yet — but I sure remember that much. The picture in George’s room that moved. Ben’s mummy. The leper that Eddie saw under the porch on Neibolt Street. Mike finding the blood on the grass near the Canal in Bassey Park. And the bird . . . there was something about a bird, wasn’t there, Mike?’
Mike nodded grimly.
‘A big bird.’
‘Yes, but not as friendly as the one on Sesame Street.’
Richie cackled wildly. ‘Derry’s answer to James Brown Gets Off A Good One! Oh chillun, is we blessed or is we blessed!’
‘Beep-beep, Richie,’ Mike said, and Richie subsided.
‘For you it was the voice from the pipe and the blood that came out of the drain,’ Bill said to Beverly. ‘And for Richie . . . ‘ But here he paused, puzzled.
‘I must be the exception that proves the rule, Big Bill,’ Richie said. ‘The first time I came in contact with anything that summer that was weird — I mean really big-league weird — was in George’s room, with you. When you and I went back to your house that day and looked at his photo album. The picture of Center Street by the Canal started to move. Do you remember?’
‘Yes,’ Bill said. ‘But are you sure there was nothing before that, Richie? Nothing at all?’
‘I — ‘ Something flickered in Richie’s eyes. He said slowly, ‘Well, there was the day Henry and his friends chased me — before the end of school, this was, and I got away from them in
the toy department of Freese’s. I went up by City Center and sat down on a park bench for awhile and I thought I saw . . . but that was just something I dreamed.’
‘What was it?’ Beverly asked.
‘Nothing,’ Richie said, almost brusquely. ‘A dream. Really.’ He looked at Mike. ‘I don’t mind taking a walk, though. It’ll kill the afternoon. Views of the old homestead.’
‘So we’re agreed?’ Bill asked.
They nodded.
‘And we’ll meet at the library tonight at . . . when do you suggest, Mike?’
‘Seven o’clock. Ring the bell if you’re late. The libe closes at seven on weekdays until summer vacation starts for the kids.’
‘Seven it is,’ Bill said, and let his eyes range soberly over them. ‘And be careful. You want to remember that none of us really knows what we’re d-d-doing. Think of this as reconnaissance. If you should see something, don’t fight. Run.’
‘I’m a lover, not a fighter,’ Richie said in a dreamy Michael Jackson Voice.
‘Well, if we’re going to do it, we ought to get going,’ Ben said. A small smile pulled up the left corner of his mouth. It was more bitter than amused. ‘Although I’ll be damned if I could tell you right this minute where I’m going to go, if the Barrens are out. That was the best of it for me — going down there with you guys.’ His eyes moved to Beverly, held there for a moment, moved away. ‘I can’t think of anyplace else that means very much to me. Probably I’ll just wander around for a couple of hours, looking at buildings and getting wet feet.’
‘You’ll find a place to go, Haystack,’ Richie said. ‘Visit some of your old food-stops and gas up.’
Ben laughed. ‘My capacity’s gone down a lot since I was eleven. I’m so full you guys may just have to roll me out of here.’
‘Well, I’m all set,’ Eddie said.
‘Wait a sec!’ Beverly cried as they began to push back from their chairs. ‘The fortune cookies! Don’t forget those!’
‘Yeah,’ Richie said. ‘I can see mine now. YOU WILL SOON BE EATEN UP BY A LARGE MONSTER. HAVE A NICE DAY.’
They laughed and Mike passed the little bowl of fortune