The Dark Tower

“Come in and have something to eat,” Rolandsaid amiably, as if a quartet of teleports showing up was a common occurrence.“There’s plenty.”

“Maybe we’ll skip breakfast,” Dinky said.“We don’t have much t—”

Before he could finish, Sheemie’s kneesbuckled and he collapsed at the mouth of the cave, his eyes rolling up towhites and a thin froth of spit oozing out between his cracked lips. He beganto shiver and buck, his legs kicking aimlessly, his rubber moccasins scratchinglines in the talus.

Chapter X:

The Last Palaver(Sheemie’s Dream)

One

Susa

Ted also dropped on his knees, but it wasSheemie with whom he was concerned. The old man put his hands on the sides ofSheemie’s head to stop it whipping back and forth; already Roland’s oldacquaintance from his Mejis days had cut one cheek on a sharp bit of stone, acut that was dangerously close to his left eye. And now blood began to pourfrom the corners of Sheemie’s mouth and run up his modestly stubbled cheeks.

“Give me something to put in his mouth!”Ted cried. “Come on, somebody! Wake up! He’s biting the shit out ofhimself!”

The wooden lid was still leaning againstthe open crate of sneetches. Roland brought it smartly down on his raisedknee—no sign of dry twist in that hip now, she noted—and smashed itto bits. Susa

The Rod, meanwhile, continued his high,almost falsetto chant. The only words she could pick out of the gibberish were Hile,Roland, Gilead, and Eld.

“Somebody shut him up!” Dinky cried, and Oybegan barking.

“Never mind the Rod, get Sheemie’s feet!”Ted snapped. “Hold him still!”

Dinky dropped to his knees and grabbedSheemie’s feet, one now bare, the other still wearing its absurd rubber moc.

“Oy, hush!” Jake said, and Oy did. But hewas standing with his short legs spread and his belly low to the ground, hisfur bushed out so he seemed nearly double his normal size.

Roland crouched by Sheemie’s head, forearmson the dirt floor of the cave, mouth by one of Sheemie’s ears. He began tomurmur. Susa

Whatever it was, it seemed to get through.Little by little Sheemie relaxed. She could see Dinky easing his hold on theformer tavern-boy’s ankles, ready to grab hard again if Sheemie renewed hiskicking. The muscles around Sheemie’s mouth also relaxed, and his teethunlocked. The piece of wood, still nailed lightly to his mouth by his upperincisors, seemed to levitate. Susa

Now there was only the rapid auctioneer’sbabble of the Rod, and the low growl deep in Oy’s chest as he stoodprotectively at Jake’s side, looking at the newcomer with narrowed eyes.

“Shut your mouth and be still,” Roland toldthe Rod, then added something else in another language.

The Rod froze halfway into another salaam,hands still raised above his head, staring at Roland. Eddie saw the side of hisnose had been eaten away by a juicy sore, red as a strawberry. The Rod put hisscabbed, dirty palms over his eyes, as if the gunslinger were a thing toobright to look at, and fell on his side. He drew his knees up to his chest,producing a loud fart as he did so.

“Harpo speaks,” Eddie said, a joke snappyenough to make Susa

Five minutes later Sheemie opened his eyes,sat up, and looked around with the bewildered air of one who knows not where heis, how he got there, or why. Then his eyes fixed on Roland, and his poor,tired face lit in a smile.

Roland returned it, and held out his arms.“Can’ee come to me, Sheemie? If not, I’ll come to you, sure.”

Sheemie crawled to Roland of Gilead on hishands and knees, his dark and dirty hair hanging in his eyes, and laid his headon Roland’s shoulder. Susa

Two

Some short time later Sheemie sat proppedagainst the wall of the cave with the mover’s pad that had been over Suzie’sCruisin Trike cushioning his head and back. Eddie had offered him a soda, butTed suggested water might be better. Sheemie drank the first bottle of Perrierat a single go, and now sat sipping another. The rest of them had instantcoffee, except for Ted; he was drinking a can of Nozz-A-La.

“Don’t know how you stand that stuff,”Eddie said.

“Each to his own taste, said the old maidas she kissed the cow,” Ted replied.

Only the Child of Roderick had nothing. Helay where he was, at the mouth of the cave, with his hands pressed firmly overhis eyes. He was trembling lightly.

Ted had checked Sheemie over betweenSheemie’s first and second bottle of water, taking his pulse, looking in hismouth, and feeling his skull for any soft places. Each time he asked Sheemie ifit hurt, Sheemie solemnly shook his head, never taking his eyes off Rolandduring the examination. After feeling Sheemie’s ribs (“Tickles, sai, so it do,”Sheemie said with a smile), Ted pronounced him fit as a fiddle.

Eddie, who could see Sheemie’s eyesperfectly well—one of the gas-lanterns was nearby and cast a strong glowon Sheemie’s face—thought that was a lie of near Presidential quality.

Susa

Dinky glanced at Ted, who nodded, then backat Eddie. “If you want. We’ve got a little more time this morning, but thatdoesn’t mean we can waste any.”

“I understand,” Eddie said.

Three

The wind had strengthened, but instead offreshening the air, it smelled fouler than ever. Once, in high school, Eddiehad gone on a field trip to an oil refinery in New Jersey. Until now he thoughtthat was hands-down the worst thing he’d ever smelled in his life; two of thegirls and three of the boys had puked. He remembered their tour-guide laughingheartily and saying, “Just remember that’s the smell of money—it helps.”Maybe Perth Oil and Gas was still the all-time champeen, but only because whathe was smelling now wasn’t quite so strong. And just by the way, what was thereabout Perth Oil and Gas that seemed familiar? He didn’t know and it probablydidn’t matter, but it was strange, the way things kept coming around over here.Only “coming around” wasn’t quite right, was it?