Chapter 61 Chapter 60

Stu blew a kiss with his clasped right hand, and he couldn't remember ever doing so except when his mother dropped him off on the school bus as a kid.Law Lanny waved her hand behind her.Hot tears filled her eyes again, but she tried not to let them fall. They set off.They have reached the end of the street.Stu waved back again.Larry waved too.Franny and Lucy waved at them too.They crossed the street and drifted away.Lucy's face was full of fear and loss, and she almost vomited out. "God," she said. "Let's go in," said Franny, "I want a cup of tea."

They went into the house and Franny put the teapot on and told everyone to wait. The four of them didn't talk much all afternoon, and slowly marched southwest.They kept walking in the direction of Golden, where they intended to spend the night. They passed the cemetery, there were four of them now, it was almost 4pm, their shadows trailing behind them, and the heat of the day was beginning to recede, when they saw the town on the road south of Boulder signpost. For a while, Stu always had the feeling that they were all on the verge of turning around and walking back together.Before them was darkness and death.Behind them there is still a little warmth, a little love.

Gran pulled a bandanna from his backpack, twisted it into a paisley cord, and wrapped it around his head. "Chapter 43, the bald sociologist Donce and his towel," he said hollowly.Kojak had already walked far ahead of them, basking in the golden sunset, happily walking towards a field of anemones. "Hey, you," Larry said sadly, "I feel like this is where it all ends." "Yes," said Ralph, "I feel the same way." "Who wants to take a break?" Gran asked without much hope. "Hurry up," Stu said with a smile, "do you little soldiers still want to live?"

They continued on their way, leaving Boulder behind.At 9 p.m. they pitched their tents at Golden.It's about a half mile from where Route 6 begins to bend, following the creek into the depths of the Rocky Mountains. The first night, neither of them slept well.They already feel far from home, under the shadow of death.