Chapter 13

           TheancientoverloadedHudsoncreakedandgruntedtothehighwayatSallisawandturnedwest,andthesunwasblinding.ButontheconcreteroadAlbuiltuphisspeedbecausetheflattenedspringswerenotindangeranymore.FromSallisawtoGoreistwenty-onemilesandtheHudsonwasdoingthirty-fivemilesanhour.FromGoretoWarnerthirteenmiles;WarnertoChecotahfourteenmiles;ChecotahalongjumptoHenrietta—thirty-fourmiles,butarealtownattheendofit.HenriettatoCastle,nineteenmiles,andthesunwasoverhead,andtheredfields,heatedbythehighsun,vibratedtheair.

           Al,atthewheel,hisfacepurposeful,hiswholebodylisteningtothecar,hisrestlesseyesjumpingfromtheroadtotheinstrumentpanel.Alwasonewithhisengine,everynervelisteningforweaknesses,forthethumpsorsqueals,humsandchatteringthatindicateachangethatmaycauseabreakdown.Hehadbecomethesoulofthecar.

           Granma,besidehimontheseat,halfslept,andwhimperedinhersleep,openedhereyestopeerahead,andthendozedagain.AndMasatbesideGranma,oneelbowoutthewindow,andtheskinreddeningunderthefiercesun.Malookedaheadtoo,buthereyeswereflatanddidnotseetheroadorthefields,thegasstations,thelittleeatingsheds.ShedidnotglanceatthemastheHudsonwentby.

           Alshiftedhimselfonthebrokenseatandchangedhisgriponthesteeringwheel.Andhesighed,"Makesaracket,butIthinkshe’sawright.Godknowswhatshe’lldoifwegottoclimbahillwiththeloadwegot.