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Back The Nest Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Copyright page
  3. Introduction by Will Errickson
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. TREMORS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. SUSPICIONS
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 3
  16. 4
  17. 5
  18. DREAD
  19. 1
  20. 2
  21. 3
  22. 4
  23. 5
  24. 6
  25. WITNESS
  26. 1
  27. 2
  28. 3
  29. ALERT
  30. 1
  31. 2
  32. 3
  33. 4
  34. 5
  35. ENCOUNTER
  36. 1
  37. 2
  38. 3
  39. 4
  40. 5
  41. 6
  42. HAVOC
  43. 1
  44. 2
  45. 3
  46. 4
  47. 5
  48. 6
  49. SEARCH
  50. 1
  51. 2
  52. 3
  53. 4
  54. 5
  55. CLASH
  56. 1
  57. 2
  58. 3
  59. 4
  60. 5
  61. 6
  62. 7
  63. COUNTERATTACK
  64. 1
  65. 2
  66. 3
  67. 4
  68. 5
  69. 6
  70. 7
  71. VICTORY
  72. 1
  73. 2
  74. 3
  75. 4
  76. 5
  77. 6
  78. 7
  79. 8
  80. 9
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. About the Author

Spewed and spattered on the leaves, Tinton’s sickness issued a caustic odor on the air like a signal—almost like the pheromonic chemical signals by which many species of insects are known to communicate.

When Tinton finally finished, feeling better but disgusted with himself, the roach column halted. When the man lay still on the ground, logy, so that no new vibrations reached them, the insects grew uncertain again. And waited. They had the patience of Nature itself—unless pressed by some need—to rest and conserve energy.

4

FOUR

It was midnight when the sheriff, with Reed Brockshaw, Ben Dorset and Russell Homer, left the lighthouse for their homes. They took Elias Johnson with them, to drop at his house. Craig Soaras stayed; he and Peter Hubbard would use cots next to the laboratory they had established.

The first floor of the lighthouse was of generous proportions and lent itself to the emergency. The building provided a pie shape of which the kitchen was one wedge. On one side, the big laboratory space waited for the apparatus that would accompany Dr. Lindstrom. On the other side of the kitchen, a rickety staircase spiraled to the unused second story. Beyond it, there was a good-­sized chamber where Elizabeth and Bonnie would sleep on cots this night, with room for Wanda Lindstrom when she joined the team the next morning. The last portion, completing the circle, was a cubicle Hubbard and Johnson’s mate were sharing. Beds for all would be brought out the next day to replace the temporary cots.

Only a dent had been made in the accumulated junk accreted in the old building over the years. Elias Johnson broached bringing some village women out to help, but Elizabeth reminded him they wanted as few people as possible to know anything at all about the laboratory. The old man was proud when she declared, simply, that she and Bonnie would get the job done.

Spirits were high with the thought that at least some preparations were under way to solve the Yarkie quandary.

The first assignment was Craig Soaras’s. He was to sail to Chatham to bring Dr. Lindstrom across to Yarkie. Considering the number of crates ordered by Peter Hubbard, and the delicacy of some of the apparatus, all agreed that the work boat, the Jessica, was a more suitable craft than Stephen Scott’s yacht, though it would be less comfortable for the woman scientist.

Elizabeth wondered whether the crossing might not be rough. She had noticed that gulls in the harbor had flown high that evening—a sure sign to islanders that a “no’theaster” was on the way.

Craig and Johnson had sniffed the air and glanced at the sky. The captain promised, “She’ll be a big blast, but she won’t start till afternoon anyway.”

Craig said laconically, “We’ll manage.”

Elizabeth heard herself saying, without knowing exactly why, “I hope Wanda Lindstrom has a strong stomach.”