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6
Tow-?Truck Eddie sat behind the wheel of his wrecker and felt something in his mouth. Frowning, he raised a huge hand to his lips and then looked at his fingers, surprised to see them glistening wetly, darkly. His frown deepened as he bent to sniff at the wetness. It had the sheared-?copper smell of fresh blood. Tow-?Truck Eddie touched his tongue-?tip carefully to the viscous smear. It didn’t taste at all like blood. It tasted like tears. Nodding to himself in sudden understanding, Tow-?Truck Eddie licked the black blood from his fingers and savored the taste.
7
A murder of night birds stood in a row along the branch of a fire-?blackened tree on the edge of Dark Hollow. Seated on his log, the Bone Man stared into his lonely fire and read the secrets of the flames. The wind carried still more secrets to him, and he listened, hearing the echoes of distant, beating hearts. The Bone Man could still feel in his mouth the after-?taste of the black blood that had burned so unexpectedly on his tongue. When he had first tasted it he had cried out in disgust and spat the ichor into the flames. The flames had burned it all up, but the sound it made was more like whispery laughter than the hiss of superheating moisture.
The north still blew its cold breath across the town, and the Bone Man shivered. He was always cold, even so near to the fire. Always cold. Now, sitting there, the taste of the black blood barely fading, the Bone Man read the winds and the fire and saw the days to come.
And he wept.
Chapter 25
1
Mike couldn’t get into the hospital but he was able to get through on the phone, though he had to claim to be Crow’s younger brother to bluff his way past the switchboard operator.
“Hello?”
“Crow?” Mike asked, not sure that the tired old man’s voice on the other end of the line was his friend’s.
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“It’s Mike. Mike Sweeney. ”
“Hey, Iron Mike…how’re the ribs?”
In truth the ribs hurt less than the rest of him, so Mike said, “I’m cool. Question is…how are you? I mean…you got shot!”
“Twice. Both bullets right through the brain pan. Killed me deader than a doornail. ”
Mike laughed. “How are you, or is that a stupid question?”
“I’m fine, bra. Just got caught in a drive-?by while I was drinkin’ gin and juice with my homies. ”
“Crow…I told you about the slang thing. It’s kind of sad when you try to be hip. ”
“Sorry, kid, lost my head. ”
“It’s okay, but don’t let it happen again. ”
“Seriously, though, I’m okay. I’ll probably be getting out tomorrow or the day after. ”
“Cool,” Mike said. “I tried to get in to see you but the cops stopped me. They’re not letting anyone in. ”
Crow was quiet for a moment, then said, “Look, Mike, if I can swing it so they let you past the dragons, would you do me a big favor?”
“Sure. Anything. ”
Crow told him what he wanted done.
“Oh, man! That’s so cool!”
“Will you do it?”
“Of course! I’m on my way right now!”
“Thanks, Mike. I’ll owe you a big one for this. ”
