In the Mouth of Madness Page #3

that was also related to it.

Come on, l don't buy this.|l mean,what are you saying?

That there's some kind|of disease...

that's spreading|across the country?

lt is an addiction|that people have at this time--

fantasy-creating|out of the written material.

How could it be addicting?

Look, l mean this is words.

Or just something|that is created by the press?

No. l think it's acting stupid|is what it is.

Jesus Christ.

l saw a...

A cow, a sheep, a pig?|What'd you see?

Never mind.|lt was nothing.

Good.

Don't move him!

ls he alive?

l don't know.

Just don't move.

He'll get a blanket,|so lie still.

l can't get out.

Don't move.

They won't let me out.

He was OK?

Come on, let's go.

We'll tell the cops|when we hit the next town.

You OK?

Oh, l can't believe it.

l must have slept|through the whole night.

Hey,thanks for driving.

What is it?

Look.

Styles,you're fantastic.|Youfound it.

What's wrong?

You drive.

Cute, cute, cute.

Main Street, USA.

Jesus.

Antiques.

Look at this old crap.

l wonder where they|manufacture this sh*t.

Look.

Those kids.

You didn't see them?

Where is everyone?

lt's like the place|is picture perfect...

and there's nobody around.

Come on.

Styles, how'd you know|about this place?

l thought you'd never|been here before.

l haven't.|l've read about it.

So have you.

This is empty now.

lt used to be filled|with strange growing things...

remember?

One night,the townspeople|saw something moving in here...

something enormous,|with arms like snakes.

''Hobb's End Horror.''

The hotelfrom...

''Hobb's End Horror.''

Styles,|you know what l'm thinking?

There's gotta be a great|tie-in for a town like this.

l mean,think of the tourist|potential,for instance, or...

There should be|a painting behind us.

lt's nice.

There's a loose board there.

Good morning.

Can l help youfolks?

l certainly hope so.

We'd like a room, please.

We're on our way to Boston.

We thought we'd take a...

break in yourfamous|little town.

Famous?

Yeah,what with the whole|Sutter Cane thing and all.

Sut-Sutter who?

Cane. We heard he came|from around here...

and comes back to stay|once in a while.

Uh, l don't know anybody|named Cane.

Ha. Nobody passes|through here much anymore.

Let me get you your keys.

You want me to leave a deposit|or my credit card or something?

Oh, city folk.

Miss Styles,|if that's what you saw,then...

yeah, l guess it would|be a little...unsettling.

l'd be a little unnerved myself.

But regardless of what you saw,|regardless of what you think...

we are not living inside|a Sutter Cane story.

They're all in here.

The Mrs. Pickman|in the book is a lunatic...

who chops her husband|into coleslaw.

That sweet old thing|that we met downstairs...

isn't capable|of anything worse than...

dipping her dentures|into her husband's beer.

Trent, l know|you think this is a joke.

Just listen to me|for a second, please.

What if Cane's work|isn'tfiction?

Oh,for Christ's sake.

This is reality.

You hear that?

Reality.

Now, if what you're saying|is true...

there should be|out that window...

a black Byzantine church with|two-hundred-fifty-foot spires...

with gold onions on the top.

Now, look.

You see?|Reality.

You didn't read closely enough.

The view is from the east.

''This place had once been|the seat of an evil...

''older than mankind...

''and wider|than the known universe.

''lt was a place|of pain and suffering...

''beyond human understanding.''

You got me reading this thing|like it's a guidebook.

''Originally,|there was an old stone church...

''built on this site|in seventeen eighty-eight...

''but the black church...

''swallowed up|the old sanctuary...

''the way it has swallowed|our minds.

''Now there is nothing left|of what was once here...

''except the mosaic|of our Lord and Savior...

''above the front door.''

''Some believe the old sanctuary|still exists somewhere...

''trapped inside|this evil edifice.

''lt's primeval inhabitants...

''were a murderous race|of creatures...

''whose vile existence|contaminated time itself...

''affecting history...

''with their sadistic|wickedness.''

lt's the battle for heaven.

The archangel Michael's|fighting off--

Don't tell me. ''Fighting off|one of the creatures...

''from the other side,'' right?

A representation. The things|Cane writes are indescribable.

''Beyond description.''

Right.|We're wasting our time.

We ought to be asking|about Cane.

We'll have somebody to ask|in about two seconds.

Come on,|we have to get out of here.

We can't be in front|of the church,Trent.

They have guns,Trent.

No, l want to go back.

Give him back!

Johnny!

Johnny-boy!

ls that Cane?

Get in the truck!

Where are they comingfrom?

l see.

Tell me how you knew|about that mob!

You see,you can't bullshit|a bullshitter, can you?

'Cause l'll tell you how.

This whole thing|has been staged,that's how.

You, Harglow, and Cane|put me through all of this...

so l can blab to the media...

about Cane's|haunted little town...

help you sell|a few more million copies.

Well,f*** that.

-You're wrong.|-No, l'm not.

Before l leave|this shitty town...

l'm going to find someone|who's going to come clean...

and we're going to dismiss|your bullshit claim.

You're wrong,Trent.|l know you are wrong.

How am l wrong?

Because you're right.|You're half right.

This was a hoax.

We did send Cane away|on a publicity stunt...

only he never showed up.

Harglow sent me with you|to make it look good...

only we weren't supposed to find|anything, but we did.

That's how l know|what we're seeing is real.

We didn't stage any of this.

lt's all happening|for real,Trent.

And it is all in that book,|and that's how l know.

You're lying.

l read the books,too,|you remember?

There's nothing about any mob,|any little girl.

Not in the old books,Trent.|ln the new one!

No one knew what was in it|except me and Cane's agent.

All right.

What's it about,the new one?

lt's about the end|to everything...

and it starts here|in this place...

with an evil that returns|and takes over Hobb's End...

piece by piece,|starting with the children.

lt's about people|turning into things...

creatures that aren't|human anymore.

lt's fiction, Styles,fiction.

We need to read the new book|to find the way out.

How's that gonna help?

We could skip to the ending.

l really hope|you're making this up...

because if you're not,|you're actually crazy.

Please,Trent.

Don't make me do this alone,|Trent.

Are you coming with me?

Fine.

Have a nice bus ride home.

No smoking, please.

lt bothers my husband.

l'm sorry.

l just can't seem to|help myself around here.

l was just on my way out.

l thought l'd stop|and admire the artwork.

lt's beautiful, isn't it?

Sure is.

Styles told me|you painted it yourself.

You mean the pretty young thing|you came in here with?

l don't know her at all.

Does she know me?

She claims she does.

So you're not responsible|for this?

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