'I think it was the air,' Joram was saying. 'Twas the Lord's pure, holy air that killed it. It wasn't meant to breathe as we do… '
And the men looked at one another, and nodded, there on the porch with the ashes just outside, while upstairs, at the other end of the house, out of Lotte's hearing, Wilma Buckhalter sat huddled with the womenfolk and told them, weeping, of the terrible thing that had been born a few hours before and that Joram and the midwife had burned in the back yard – a thing with tiny yellow claws and the beginnings of a tail…
The two men were working in the shadow of the hill. The younger, still in his teens, was crouching over a small grey box-shaped instrument, an emanometer, used to measure radon gas. From a strap by his side hung a similar device for the measurement of methane. The older of the two, a tall, stoop-shouldered man with thinning black hair, was pacing around the base of the hill taking readings on radiation with a scintillation counter. A camera and a light meter dangled around his neck.
'No,' he said, sounding far from surprised, 'it's the same over here. Just background count.' Squinting, he peered up along the length of the cone. It towered forty feet above the forest floor – not so high as most of the older trees, but in this section, where the trees were short and vegetation sparse, its top protruded well above them all. 'Think I'd better get a couple more pictures.'
He backed into the sunlight, holding the light meter before him. Checking the dial, he raised the camera and focused on the top of the mound. The younger man stood watching him. Moments later he called out, 'Dr Lewalski? We've got a visitor.'
The other lowered his camera and turned where the younger man was pointing. At the far side of the mound stood a short, somewhat paunchy old man with glowing pink skin and a halo of fine white hair.
'Oh, don't mind me!' the old man cried. 'I'm just passing through.' He stood staring at them for a moment and made no move to go. 'You two prospecting for uranium or something?'
The one named Lewalski smiled and shook his head. 'Just taking a few measurements, that's all.' He indicated the mound. 'We're trying to find out how this thing was formed.'
'Seems like quite a lot of fellows have been around here lately asking that same question.'
The other laughed. 'Yes, I know. We're a little behind. I cut short my vacation just to come down here. It's quite an unusual formation.'
'We're going to drill a hole right through to the center,' added the younger man, 'and see what's inside.'
The old man's eyes widened respectfully. 'Drill a hole? He looked around. 'With what?'
Lewalski laughed. 'Oh, we're not going to do that now. We'll have to come back tomorrow with the right equipment.'
'Oh, yes, I see. Tomorrow.' He nodded to himself. 'I take it you fellows aren't from around here.'
'We're from Princeton,' said the younger man. 'From the geology department.'
'Really?' The old man seemed impressed. 'And so you drove out here today, did you?'
'That's right,' said Lewalski. 'Why, what's the matter?' – because the other had suddenly frowned and now looked troubled, as if he'd just remembered something particularly unfortunate.
'Oh, it's nothing,' said the old man. 'It's just that – tell me, where are you parked?'
Lewalski nodded toward the north. 'An old dirt road about a mile, mile and a half from here. It runs past what must be the town dump.'
The old man shook his head glumly. 'That's just what I thought.'
'Is something wrong?'
'Probably not. It's just that there's some fool law in this town about parking on that road on a Sunday, and – well, there've been some incidents. Quite a few out-of-towners have had their cars towed away.'
'On a Sunday?' said Lewalski. 'That's absurd! I'm not even on the road, I pulled way over.'
The old man shrugged. 'I'm sure you're completely in the right. I just wish the people of this town had a little more respect for state laws. They have some funny ideas around here about Sunday driving.. . ’
'Hold on a minute!' said Lewalski. 'We saw people driving around here today – at least I think so.'
The old man nodded, looking sorry he'd ever brought up the subject. 'Of course you did. They were probably on their way to Sunday worship. Out-of-towners they regard a bit differently.'
'But we're from Princeton,' said the younger man.
'You're saying they tow away people's cars?' asked Lewalski. He was beginning to look nervous. 'It makes no sense. This is practically official business.'
'Well, that road to the dump is town property, you see – so are these woods – and, well… ' He shrugged and looked away.
'Aw, come on, Dr Lewalski,' said the the younger man, 'nobody's going to touch your car.'
The other looked dubious. He scratched his chin. 'No, I guess not.' He stepped back and brought the camera up to his face. 'We'll just- Jesus, what was that?'
A thick brown snake had slid past his feet. He saw it disappear into the bushes out of the corner of his eye.
'Been a lot of snakes around here lately,' said the old man. 'I suppose you read about it. Some folks say it was the quake that stirred them up. We've had quite a few people bitten this year- more than in the past twelve years combined. Copperheads, mostly. Hope you brought your snakebite kit along.'
The younger man turned to Lewalski. 'Did you?'
Lewalski grimaced. 'No, of course not. I know these woods. There's no danger at all, if you don't go around- Jesus, there's another!' He stepped back, then stared up at the hill, frowning. 'You know, maybe this isn't such a good idea today after all.'
The younger man shrugged. 'Whatever you say.'
The old man cleared his throat. 'Do you, uh, know your way out of here all right? I only ask because I'm heading up that way myself. I can show you the right path, take you back to your car without your getting lost.'
Lewalski was fitting his camera back into its case. 'You know, mister, we'd really appreciate that.' He turned to the other. 'Come on, let's go – we can do a really thorough job tomorrow.'
They followed the old man down the path that wound northward. He was whistling.
'You seem to know these woods pretty well,' said Lewalski.
The old man smiled but didn't look back. 'Yes, known 'em since I was a boy. Grew up around here.'
They were passing a tall clump of bushes. For just an instant the old man's eyes darted to the side, toward where the leaves and brambles grew thickest, and he gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head.
'Stay with me now,' he added, 'I don't want to lose anybody.'
It wasn't till the three had continued down the path and were almost lost from sight amid the foliage that the bushes stirred, then shook, and the hulking form of the farmer pushed its way out onto the path.
It stood for a moment, watching their retreating forms; then it turned to face the mound. Pressing its shoulder to a massive grey rock, larger than any living man could move, it wrested the thing from the earth and rolled it toward the base of the hill. Another boulder followed, and another. Soon the structure rose against the hillside.
It was building an altar.
'You know we've got to do something… '
'No doubt of it!'
The men had walked down the path from the Sturtevants' house in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Now the group stood huddled together by the roadside.
'I ain't never seen old Joram so upset.'
'Well, and don't he have a right to be?'
'Seems to me we got to act now. Let's get our trucks and head on out to Sarr's.'
'Now just a minute, Rupert, we can't none of us be sure-'
'I ain't takin' no chances!' Lindt smacked his fist into his palm. 'I was at the Poroths' place last Sunday, and I watched that boy. I saw the way he was lookin' at my little Sarah.'
'We're not gonna do him any harm now, that wouldn't be right.'
'Course not, Matt. We're just gonna call on him, that's all. We're just gonna see that he leaves-'
'Before tonight.'
'Before dark!'
