26. Here comes the cavalry

Bow wow! only in Movieland. A silhouette appears on the ridge, an apparition barks gangbusters hellos into the ravine. Merilee believes in visions. "If you're for real," she hollers hoarsely, "come down here."

"Woof! woof!" Meaning no, you come up here.

"Not if you're running some reconciliation game with what's-his-name I sure won't."

"Woof!"

"OK. We were always fifty-fifty, my Girl and me." Agreement made once to obey each other.

Merilee climbed the ridge and Girl gave her hand a dry lick. She buried her face in the dog's good dusty fur. Looking up then, she saw what Girl had been leading her toward: not two hundred yards beyond the ridge the river and the 70 m.p.h. Sampans going blinkety-blinkety by in the hush of the night.

27. Eastern finis

"If you don't mind me saying it, you look TURRibul, hon. What were you up to? little freaking out in the woods?"

The windows are rolled up and the air in the Lincoln humming cold. Merilee has been sleeping with Girl on her lap for cover. "I was on my way to be