All at once Sidney turned away, doubled up, and began to cry as if somebody had shot him in the belly.

“I ain’t dead, Sidney.”

(Sidney and Gareth were not certain who said these words and they gazed at one another for what seemed like an eternity, and later on in the hospital jail Gareth Vaisey admitted that he had thought Brian McFee had spoken them, and Gareth had thrown himself as a result on the ground and flailed about like someone having a fit.)

“Was that you who spoke, Roy?” Sidney said cautiously and began walking in the direction of the barn door.

“Who else?” Roy answered back, and opened his eyes.

His eyes were like two stones floating in blood, beautiful and eloquent too. He closed them as soon as he saw Sidney.

Sidney began speaking very close to the renderer: “I done like you told me to, Roy, but it should never have been done if you ask me . . . I hope you are going to be all right, though.” He touched his chest with his forefinger and then drew it away streaming with blood.

“Where is Brian?” Roy inquired, his eyes still shut.

“Right in front of you, Roy. Cain’t you see him?”

Roy opened his eyes and gradually focused them on Brian. They had placed the dead boy on a mound of earth that might have been—who knows?—once an ant hill.

“How did you get him to sit up like that?” Roy wondered.

“I guess I had to break his back maybe, to tell the truth.”

“That’s Brian all right,” Roy agreed. “I have to hand it to you, De Lakes.”

Sidney had closed his own eyes now, and he kept passing his hand forward and backwards over his face.

“I want to take you down from the door now, Roy, and put you to bed. Then I will call the doctor . . . Whatever you command though,” he added quickly at a look fearful to behold which came from the renderer.

“You have changed, Sidney De Lakes.”

“How have I?”

“You are different. Different all around.”

Sidney looked back where Gareth lay on the grass very quiet and still.

“I think Gareth had some kind of a fit,” Sidney opined.

Sidney began walking in little circles around the hammer with which he had pounded Roy into place. He circled about the hammer as if it was a dangerous animal which might attack him. Then very deliberately he bent over it, and picked it up gingerly. His jaw closed tight.

Then very quickly, almost as though he had leaped upon Roy, he wielded the hammer over the renderer and swiftly pulled out one of the nails. There was a scream of pure agony, then Roy fainted, his head falling to his chest which still swam with little circles of blood.

When Sidney pulled out the next nail the pain must have been so pronounced he came to. Then Roy waited with his eyes open resting on Sidney, and Sidney waited also.