Dean Koontz: The Servants of Twilight

"You know what happens to you when you eat too many Big Macs?" Christine said.

"What?" the boy asked.

"You grow up to look like Ronald McDonald."

"That's right," Charlie said." Big red nose, funny orange hair, and big red lips."

Joey giggled." Gee, I wish Chewbacca was here."

"I'm sure Val's taking good care of him, honey."

"Yeah, but he's missing all the jokes."

They strolled along the sidewalk, Joey between them, and even at this hour a few of the big signs and marquees were flashing.

"Will I grow up with big funny clown's feet, too?" Joey asked.

"Absolutely," Charlie said." Size twenty-eight."

"Which will make it impossible to drive a car," Christine said.

" Or dance," Charlie said.

"I don't want to dance," Joey said." I don't like girls."

"Oh, in a few years, you'll like them," Christine said.

Joey frowned." That's what Chewbacca says, but I just don't believe it."

"Oh, so Chewbacca talks, does he?" Christine teased.

"Well. "

"And he's an authority on girls, yet!"

"Well, okay, if you want to make a big deal of it," Joey said, "I gotta admit I just pretend he talks."

Charlie laughed and winked at his new wife over their son's head.

Joey said, "Hey, if I eat too many Big Macs, will I grow up with big funny clown hands, too?"

"Yep," Charlie said." So you won't be able to tie your own shoes." "Or pick your nose," Christine said.

"I don't pick my nose anyway," the boy said indignantly.

"You know what Val told me about picking my nose?"

"No. What did Val tell you?" Christine asked, and Charlie could see she was a little afraid of the answer because the boy was always learning the wrong kind of language from Val.

Joey squinted in the desert sun, as if struggling to remember exactly what Val had said. Then: "She told me the only people who pick their noses are bums, Looney Tunes, IRS agents, and her ex-husband."

Charlie and Christine glanced at each other and laughed. It was so good to laugh.

Joey said, "Hey, if you guys wanta be, you know. ummm. alone. then you can leave me in the hotel playroom. I don't mind. It looks great in there. They got all kinds of neat games and stuff. Hey, maybe you guys want to play some more cards or them slot machines where Mom made money last night."

"I think we'll probably quit gambling while we're ahead, honey."

"Oh," the boy said, "I think you should play, Mom! You'll win, I bet.

You'll win a lot more. Really. I know you will. I just know you will."

The sun came out from behind one of the scattered white clouds, and its light fell full-strength across the pavement, sparkied on the chrome and glass of the passing cars, made the plush hotels and casinos look brighter and cleaner than they really were, and made the air itself shimmer fantastically.

It ended in sunshine, not on a dark and stormy night.