；　creating　spaces　like　those　between　prison　bars。　The　tail　of　the　mouse　now　hung　from　the　side　of　his　hands　that　was　facing　us。

Brutal　stepped　next　to　me；　still　holding　the　colored　spool　between　his　fingers。　〃What's　he　think　he's　doing？〃

〃Shh；〃　I　said。

Delacroix　had　stopped　screaming。　〃Please；　John；〃　he　whispered。　〃Oh　Johnny；　help　him；　please　help　him；　oh　s'il　vous　plait。〃

Dean　and　Harry　joined　us；　Harry　with　our　old　deck　of　Airplane　cards　still　in　one　hand。　〃What's　going　on？〃　Dean　asked；　but　I　only　shook　my　head。　I　was　feeling　hypnotized　again；　damned　if　I　wasn't。

Coffey　put　his　mouth　between　two　of　his　fingers　and　inhaled　sharply。　For　a　moment　everything　hung　suspended。　Then　he　raised　his　head　away　from　his　hands　and　I　saw　the　face　of　a　man　who　looked　desperately　sick；　or　in　terrible　pain。　His　eyes　were　sharp　and　blazing；　his　upper　teeth　bit　at　his　full　lower　lip；　his　dark　face　had　faded　to　an　unpleasant　color　that　looked　like　ash　stirred　into　mud。　He　made　a　choked　sound　way　back　in　his　throat。

〃Dear　Jesus　Lord　and　Savior；〃　Brutal　whispered。　His　eyes　appeared　to　be　in　danger　of　dropping　right　out　of　his　face。

〃What？〃　Harry　almost　barked。　〃What？〃

〃The　tail！　Don't　you　see　it？　The　tail！〃

Mr。　Jingles's　tail　was　no　longer　a　dying　pendulum；　it　was　snapping　briskly　from　side　to　side；　like　the　tail　of　a　cat　in　a　bird…catching　mood。　And　then；　from　inside　Coffey's　cupped　hands；　came　a　perfectly　familiar　squeak。

Coffey　made　that　choking；　gagging　sound　again；　then　turned　his　head　to　one　side　like　a　man　that　has　coughed　up　a　wad　of　phlegm　and　means　to　spit　it　out。　Instead；　he　exhaled　a　cloud　of　black　insects　…　I　think　they　were　insects；　and　the　others　said　the　same；　but　to　this　day　I　am　not　sure　…　from　his　mouth