Neil set down his fork. “I don’t know. I just believe him, that’s all. I can’t think of any other reason for what’s been happening, except that I’m losing my marbles.”

Susan rubbed her forehead tiredly and thoughtfully. “The trouble is,” she said, “the man in the white coat is one thing, and the nightmares are one thing, but all this business about twenty-two medicine men coming back to life to get their revenge on the white man…”

“I know,” he said, in a soft, hollow voice. “But you were here when Toby talked about the day of the dark stars, and the gateway, and all that stuff. You heard him as clear as I did.”

“Maybe Billy Ritchie simply pretended he knew what they were. Think about it. He’s alone in that house all day, with nobody to talk to. He’s quite likely to say anything, just to keep you interested.”

Neil didn’t answer. He finished his hash in silence, and then he pushed his plate away from him and sat with his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands.

Susan said, “Honey, you mustn’t let it get you down. I know what you’re feeling, but something’s bound to happen soon, and you’ll forget all about it.”

Neil looked across at her. “The only something that’s going to happen, as far as I can make out, is a damned great massacre.”

She averted her eyes. “You shouldn’t speak that way,” she said quietly.

“What way? Is it the ‘damned’ you don’t like, or the ‘massacre’?”

“I don’t like any of it,” she retorted. “I don’t like these nightmares and I don’t like all this maddening talk of ghosts and manitous and men in long white coats who vanish as soon as you look at them. If you want to know what I really feel, I’ll tell you. I don’t believe a single word of it. I think you’re probably tired and overworked, and maybe you’re worried about money, and you’re letting this whole ridiculous business run away with you.”

She had tears in her eyes as she spoke, and she was twisting her apron in her hands. She looked up at him and said, “You’re not behaving like Neil anymore. You used to be so solid, so down-to-earth. It’s not like you to think about devils and demons. I don’t know what’s happened to you.”