“And the second time the ball sent you todash?” Roland asked. “The time it sent you to the Castle of the King?”

“There were birds. Great fat black birds. And beyond that I’ll not speak. Not in the middle of the night.” Callahan spoke in a dry voice that brooked no argument. He stood up again. “Another time, perhaps.”

Roland bowed acceptance of this. “Say thankya.”

“Will’ee not turn in, folks?”

“Soon,” Roland said.

They thanked him for his story (even Oy added a single, sleepy bark) and bade him goodnight. They watched him go and for several seconds after, they said nothing.

Twenty

It was Jake who broke the silence. “That guy Walter was behind us, Roland! When we left the way station, he was behind us! Pere Callahan, too!”

“Yes,” Roland said. “As far back as that, Callahan was in our story. It makes my stomach flutter. As though I’d lost gravity.”

Eddie dabbed at the corner of his eye. “Whenever you show emotion like that, Roland,” he said, “I get all warm and squashy inside.” Then, when Roland only looked at him, “Ah, come on, quit laughin. You know I love it when you get the joke, but you’re embarrassing me.”

“Cry pardon,” Roland said with a faint smile. “Such humor as I have turns in early.”

“Mine stays up all night,” Eddie said brightly. “Keeps me awake. Tells me jokes. Knock-knock, who’s there, icy, icy who, icy your underwear, yock-yock-yock!”

“Is it out of your system?” Roland asked when he had finished.

“For the time being, yeah. But don’t worry, Roland, it always comes back. Can I ask you something?”

“Is it foolish?”

“I don’t think so. I hope not.”

“Then ask.”

“Those two men who saved Callahan’s bacon in the laundrymat on the East Side—were they who I think they were?”

“Who do you think they were?”

Eddie looked at Jake. “What about you, O son of Elmer? Got any ideas?”

“Sure,” Jake said. “It was Calvin Tower and the other guy from the bookshop, his friend. The one who told me the Samson riddle and the river riddle.” He snapped his fingers once, then twice, then grinned. “Aaron Deepneau.”

“What about the ring Callahan mentioned?” Eddie asked him. “The one with Ex Libris on it? I didn’t see either of them wearing a ring like that.”

“Were you looking?” Jake asked him.

“No, not really. But—”

“And remember that we saw him in 1977,” Jake said. “Those guys saved Pere’s life in 1981. Maybe someone gave Mr. Tower the ring during the four years between. As a present. Or maybe he bought it himself.”

“You’re just guessing,” Eddie said.

“Yeah,” Jake agreed. “But Tower owns a bookshop, so him having a ring with Ex Libris on it fits. Can you tell me it doesn’t feel right?”