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“Satan,” said Zero.
Stanley looked at him, unsure if Zero had even spoken or if he’d just imagined it.
“Why don’t you go see if you can take the suitcase from Zero,” the Warden suggested.
“Yeah, right,” said Mr. Sir.
“The lizards obviously aren’t hungry,” said the Warden.
“Then you go get the suitcase,” said Mr. Sir.
They waited.
“Sa-tan lee,” said Zero.
• • •
Sometime later Stanley saw a tarantula crawl across the dirt, not too far from his hole. He had never seen a tarantula before, but there was no doubt what it was. He was momentarily fascinated by it, as its big hairy body moved slowly and steadily along.
“Look, a tarantula,” said Mr. Sir, also fascinated.
“I’ve never seen one,” said the Warden. “Except in—”
Stanley suddenly felt a sharp sting on the side of his neck.
The lizard hadn’t bitten him, however. It was merely pushing off.
It leapt off Stanley’s neck and pounced on the tarantula. The last Stanley saw of it was one hairy leg sticking out of the lizard’s mouth.
“Not hungry, huh?” said Mr. Sir.
Stanley tried to return to the snow, but it was harder to get there when the sun was up.
As the sun rose, the lizards moved lower in the hole, keeping mainly in the shade. They were no longer on his head and shoulders but had moved down to his stomach, legs, and feet.
He couldn’t see any lizards on Zero, but believed there were two, between Zero’s knees, shaded from the sun by the suitcase.
“How are you doing?” Stanley asked quietly. He didn’t whisper, but his voice was dry and raspy.
“My legs are numb,” said Zero.
“I’m going to try to climb out of the hole,” Stanley said.
As he tried to pull himself up, using just his arms, he felt a claw dig into his ankle. He gently eased himself back down.
“Is your last name your first name backward?” Zero asked.
Stanley stared at him in amazement. Had he been working on that all night?
He heard the sound of approaching cars.
Mr. Sir and the Warden heard it as well.
“You think it’s them?” asked the Warden.
“It ain’t Girl Scouts selling cookies,” said Mr. Sir.
He heard the cars come to a stop, and the doors open and shut. A little while later he saw Mr. Pendanski and two strangers, coming across the lake. One was a tall man in a business suit and cowboy hat. The other was a short woman holding a briefcase. The woman had to take three steps for every two taken by the man. “Stanley Yelnats?” she called, moving out ahead of the others.
