Salem's Lot

6

They arrived at the hospital at nine-thirty, and Jimmy Cody was in Matt’s room. He looked at Ben, unsmiling, and then his eyes flicked to Mark Petrie with curiosity.

‘I’ve got some bad news for you, Ben. Sue Norton has disappeared.’

‘She’s a vampire,’ Ben said flatly, and Matt grunted from his bed.

‘Are you sure of that?’ Jimmy asked sharply.

Ben cocked his thumb at Mark Petrie and introduced him. ‘Mark here had a little visit from Danny Glick on Saturday night. He can tell you the rest.’

Mark told it from beginning to end, just as he had told Ben earlier.

Matt spoke first when he had finished. ‘Ben, there are no words to say how sorry I am.’

‘I can give you something if you need it,’ Jimmy said.

‘I know what medicine I need, Jimmy. I want to move against this Barlow today. Now. Before dark.’

‘All right,’ Jimmy said. ‘I’ve canceled all my calls. And I phoned the county sheriff s office. McCaslin is gone, too.’

‘Maybe that explains this,’ Ben said, and took the pistol out of his pocket and dropped it onto Matt’s bedside table. It looked strange and out of place in the hospital room.

‘Where did you get this?’ Jimmy asked, picking it up.

‘Out by Susan’s car.’

‘Then I can guess. McCaslin went to the Norton house sometime after he left us. He got the story on Susan, including the make, model, and license number of her car. Went out cruising some of the back roads, just on the off-chance. And-’

Broken silence in the room. None of them needed it filled.

‘Foreman’s is still closed,’ Jimmy said. ‘And a lot of the old men who hang around Crossen’s have been complaining about the dump. No one has seen Dud Rogers for a week.’

They looked at each other bleakly.

‘I spoke with Father Callahan last night,’ Matt said. ‘He has agreed to go along, providing you two-plus Mark, of course-will stop at this new shop and talk to Straker first.’

‘I don’t think he’ll be talking to anyone today,’ Mark said quietly.

‘What did you find out about them?’ Jimmy asked Matt.

‘Anything useful?’

‘Well, I think I’ve put some of the pieces together. Straker must be this thing’s human watchdog and bodyguard… a kind of human familiar. He must have been in town long before Barlow appeared. There were certain rites to be performed, in propitiation of the Dark Father. Even Barlow has his Master, you see.’ He looked at them somberly. ‘I rather suspect no one will ever find a trace of Ralphie Glick. I think he was Barlow’s ticket of admission. Straker took him and sacrificed him.’

‘Bastard,’ Jimmy said distantly.

‘And Danny Glick?’ Ben asked.

‘Straker bled him first,’ Matt said. ‘His Master’s gift. First blood for the faithful servant. Later, Barlow would have taken over that job himself. But Straker performed another service for his Master before Barlow ever arrived. Do any of you know what?’

For a moment there was silence, and then Mark said quite distinctly, ‘The dog that man found on the cemetery gate.’

‘What?’ Jimmy said. ‘Why? Why would he do that?’

‘The white eyes,’ Mark said, and then looked questioningly at Matt, who was nodding with some surprise.

‘All last night I nodded over these books, not knowing we had a scholar in our midst.’ The boy blushed a little. ‘What Mark says is exactly right. According to several of the standard references on folklore and the supernatural, one way to frighten a vampire away is to paint white ‘angel eyes’ over the real eyes of a black dog. Win’s Doc was all black except for two white patches. Win used to call them his headlights-they were directly over his eyes. He let the dog run at night. Straker must have spotted it, killed it, and then hung it on the cemetery gate.’

‘And how about this Barlow?’ Jimmy asked. ‘How did he get to town?’

Matt shrugged. ‘I have no way of telling. I think that we must assume, in line with the legends, that he is old… very old. He may have changed his name a dozen times, or a thousand. He may have been a native of almost every country in the world at one time or another, although I suspect his origins may have been Romanian or Magyar or Hungarian. It doesn’t really matter how he got to town anyway… although I wouldn’t be surprised to find out Larry Crockett had a hand in it. He’s here. That’s the important thing.

‘Now, here is what you must do: Take a stake when you go. And a gun, in case Straker is still alive. Sheriff McCaslin’s revolver will serve the purpose. The stake must pierce the heart or the vampire may rise again. Jimmy, you can check that. When you have staked him you must cut off his head, stuff the mouth with garlic, and turn it face down in the coffin. In most vampire fiction, Hollywood and otherwise, the staked vampire mortifies almost instantly into dust. This may not happen in real life. If it doesn’t, you must weight the coffin and throw it into running water. I would suggest the Royal River. Do you have questions?’

There were none.

‘Good. You must each carry a vial of holy water and a bit of the Host. And you must each have Father Callahan hear your confession before you go.’

‘I don’t think any of us are Catholic,’ Ben said.

‘I am,’ Jimmy said. ‘Nonpracticing.’

‘Nonetheless, you will make a confession and an act of contrition. Then you go pure, washed in Christ’s blood… clean blood, not tainted.’

‘All right,’ Ben said.

‘Ben, had you slept with Susan? Forgive me, but-’

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘Then you must pound the stake-first into Barlow, then into her. You are the only person in this little party who has been hurt personally. You will act as her husband. And you mustn’t falter. You’ll be releasing her.’

‘All right,’ he said again.

‘Above all’-his glance swept all of them-’you must not look in his eyes! If you do, he’ll catch you and turn you against the others, even at the expense of your own life.

Remember Floyd Tibbits! That makes it dangerous to carry a gun, even if it’s necessary. Jimmy, you take it, and hang back a little. If you have to examine either Barlow or Susan, give it to Mark.’

‘Understood,’ Jimmy said.

‘Remember to buy garlic. And roses, if you can. Is that little flower shop in Cumberland still open, Jimmy?’

‘The Northern Belle? I think so. ‘

‘A white rose for each of you. Tie them in your hair or around your neck. And I’ll repeat myself-don’t look in his eyes! I could keep you here and tell you a hundred other things, but you better go along. It’s ten o’clock already, and Father Callahan may be having second thoughts. My best wishes and my prayers go with you. Praying is quite a trick for an old agnostic like me, too. But I don’t think I’m as agnostic as I once was. Was it Carlyle who said that if a man dethrones God in his heart, then Satan must ascend to His position?’

No one answered, and Matt sighed. ‘Jimmy, I want a closer look at your neck.’

Jimmy stepped to the bedside and lifted his chin. The wounds were obviously punctures, but they had both scabbed over and seemed to be healing nicely.

‘Any pain? Itching?’ Matt asked.

‘No.’

‘You were very lucky,’ he said, looking at Jimmy soberly.

‘I’m starting to think I was luckier than I’ll ever know.’ Matt leaned back in his bed. His face looked drawn, the eyes deeply socketed. ‘I will take the pill Ben refused, if you please.’

‘I’ll tell one of the nurses.’

‘I’ll sleep while you go about your work,’ Matt said. ‘Later there is another matter… well, enough of that.’ His eyes shifted to Mark. ‘You did a remarkable thing yesterday, boy. Foolish and reckless, but remarkable.’

‘She paid for it,’ Mark said quietly, and clasped his hands together in front of him. They were trembling.

‘Yes, and you may have to pay again. Any of you, or all of you. Don’t underestimate him. And now, if you don’t mind, I’m very tired. I was reading most of the night. Call me the very minute the work is done.’

They left. In the hall Ben looked at Jimmy and said, ‘Did be remind you of anyone?’

‘Yes,’ Jimmy said. ‘Van Helsing.’