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Two
"Whatkindofareply?"Doorshrugged."Oh.Right."ItoccurredtoRichardthenthatherskinwasverywhite,nowthatsomeofthedirtandbloodhadbeenremoved.Hewonderedifshewerepalefromillness,orfromlossofblood,orifshesimplydidn’tgetoutmuch,orwasanemic.Maybeshe’dbeeninprison,althoughshelookedabittooyoungforthat.Perhapsthebigmanhadbeentellingthetruthwhenhehadsaidshewasmad."Listen,whenthosemencameover..."
"Men?"Aflashoftheopal-coloredeyes.
"Croupand,um,Vanderbilt."
"Vandemar."Shemusedforamoment,thennodded."Isupposeyoucouldcallthemmen,yes.Twolegs,twoarms,aheadeach."
Richardkepttalking."Whentheycameinhere,before.Wherewereyou?"
Shelickedherfingerandturnedapage."Iwashere."
"But—"Hestoppedtalking,outofwords.Therewasn’tanywhereintheapartmentthatshecouldhavehiddenherself.Butshehadn’tlefttheapartment.But—
Therewasascratchingnoise,andadarkshapelargerthanamousescurriedoutfromthemessofvideotapesbeneaththetelevision."Jesus!"saidRichard,andhethrewtheremotecontrolatitashardashecould.Itcrashedintothevideoswithabang.Ofthedarkshapetherewasnosign.
"Richard!"saidDoor.
"It’sokay,"heexplained."Ithinkitwasjustaratorsomething."
