271 INTERIOR: ISOLATE ON RALPHIE.
He works his way a little apart from the others, picking up magazines. He's moving toward the door marked CUSTODIAN, and when it COMES OPEN, he looks up.
254 STEPHEN KING
LINOGE (voice) Ralphie! Hey, big boy!
The others do not hear, but RALPHIE does.
272 INTERIOR: WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE CENTER, WITH MIKE AND KIRK.
KIRK has an armload of games and those kid puzzles with the great big pieces. MIKE has the Slip-Stix and a few other simple crafts.
KIRK
That it?
MIKE Yep, should do. Let's . . .
Something catches his eye. It's a scatter of alphabet blocks on a low worktable. MIKE kneels beside it, looks thoughtfully at the blocks, then begins to pull some of them together into a line.
KIRK
(over to have a look) What you doing?
MIKE has used six of the blocks to spell out 'LINOGE.' He looks at them, then swaps them around to make 'NILOGE.' No, that's nonsense. Next comes 'GONILE.'
KIRK
Go Nile. Sounds like an ad for a vacation in Egypt.
273 INTERIOR: THE KIDS' PLAY AREA.
SANDRA is busy with CAT, and the other kids have grouped together around some baskets in the corner, where they stow the toys, books, and magazines. They are having a good time. No one notices RALPHIE as he gets up and walks hesitatingly toward the half-open door of the custodian's closet. |K
LINOGE (voice) Got something for you, big boy a present!
RALPHIE reaches for the door . . . then hesitates.
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197
LINOGE (voice)
(teasing) Not afraid, are you?
RALPHIE reaches for the door again, this time more decisively.
274 INTERIOR: WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE, WITH MIKE AND KIRK.
KIRK is interested now. He moves the blocks himself, making 'LINOGE' into 'LONIEG.' And suddenly, MIKE sees it. His eyes WIDEN WITH HORROR.
MIKE
Jesus and the disciples in the country of the Gadarenes. Book of Mark. Oh my God.
KIRK
Huh?
MIKE
They met a man with an unclean spirit; that's what it says in the Gospel. A man with demons inside of him. He lived among the tombs, and no man could bind him, not even with chains. Jesus cast the demons into a herd of pigs that ran into the ocean and drowned themselves. But before he cast them out, Jesus asked their names. And the thing inside said KIRK is watching him with increasing fright as MIKE manipulates the blocks.
MIKE 'Our name is Legion, for we are many.'
Now the blocks that spelled 'LINOGE' spell 'LEGION.' MIKE and KIRK stare at each other, wide-eyed.
275 INTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE CUSTODIAN'S CLOSET.
RALPHIE opens the door and looks up at ANDRE LINOGE. In one hand, LINOGE grips his wolf's head cane. The other is behind his back. LINOGE is smiling.
256 STEPHEN KING
LINOGE It's a present for the fairy-saddle boy. Come and see.
RALPHIE enters the custodian's closet. The door swings shut.
THIS ENDS PART TWO.
lift
PART 3 The Reckoning
Act 1
1 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND MARKET AFTERNOON.
The snow is falling as hard as ever. The porch is almost completely buried beneath one huge, dunelike drift from floor to roof overhang. Parked in front is the big Sno-Cat MIKE and the others took out on the reprovisioning expedition. From its side door to the
