Мгла

           Thebag-ladiesinbigcitiesseemtohavethesameeffectonpeople,asiftheywerecarriersofsomecontagiousdisease.Whoknows?Maybetheyare.

           Thingsbegantohappenatanaccelerating,confusingpacethen.Amanstaggeredintothemarket,shovingtheINdooropen.Hisnosewasbleeding."Somethinginthefog!"hescreamed,andBillyshrankagainstme-whetherbecauseoftheman’sbloodynoseorwhathewassaying,Idon’tknow."Somethinginthefog!SomethinginthefogtookJohnLee!Something-Hestaggeredbackagainstadisplayoflawnfoodstackedbythewindowandsatdownthere."SomethinginthefogtookJohnLeeandIheardhimscreaming!"

           Thesituationchanged.Madenervousbythestorm,bythepolicesirenandthefirewhistle,bythesubtledislocationanypoweroutagecausesintheAmericanpsyche,andbythesteadilymountingatmosphereofuneaseasthingssomehow...somehowchanged(Idon’tknowhowtoputitanybetterthanthat),peoplebegantomoveinabody.

           Theydidn’tbolt.IfItoldyouthat,Iwouldbegivingyouentirelythewrongimpression.Itwasn’texactlyapanic.Theydidn’trun-oratleast,mostofthemdidn’t.Buttheywent.Someofthemjustwenttothebigshowwindowonthefarsideofthecheckoutlanestolookout.OtherswentouttheINdoor,somestillcarryingtheirintendedpurchases.BudBrown,harriedandofficious,beganyelling:"Hey!Youhaven’tpaidforthat!Hey,you!Comebackherewiththosehotdogrolls!"

           Someonelaughedathim,acrazy,yodelingsoundthatmadeotherpeoplesmile.