"Whatever it is I do, I can't do it in the big store window on Main Street at high noon. I am a private person who belongs to the Lord God. I got my little flock of folks and I make certain they know what the Lord has promised them and what He hasn't. I take care of them, every one, the best way I can, and when I am gone I know where I am going. The only marks I leave behind will be on the souls I touched, the ones left behind when I went. And when all of them are gone from this earth too, there won't be left any sign or mark of me. No big buildings or trust funds or hospitals. I'm an evangelist, Johnny.

That is my line of work, and I do it alone and do it the best I can. If it weren't for vanity I would never have let those people take that movie of me saving souls. I wanted to say no, but somehow I couldn't he'p myself. I don't have that trouble right now. I appreciate the offer, but I can say no with no trouble at all, and no regrets. If I find my way back to that little airport of yours, will they take me home?"

They'll take you home," John Tinker said.

He bowed to Mary Margaret, adjusted the planter hat with care, said, "Thanks for your time," and left.

"Why were you crying like your heart was broken?" John Tinker asked his sister.

"Just go away. Okay? Right now. Please."

"We were wrong," he said.

"Tom Daniel Birdy is a country clown. We don't need him. We wasted a lot of time on him."

"Please just- go!". g He shrugged and walked out. She went in and opened the ' closet door that had the full-length mirror on the back. She stood there and looked at herself for a long time. She realized that on all the other times she had looked into it, she had looked at her face and her hem line. Nothing else. The rest of her had been invisible. It had been covered with seaweed.

Deputy Reeser brought the Lloyd boy in at three Friday afternoon. The boy was sullen and white-faced. He tried a tough swagger as he approached Sheriff Dockerty's desk, but didn't bring it off too well.

"Just set there on the bench and shut up a minute." j.,j The boy took his elaborate and mannered time in strolling to the bench against the wall opposite the Sheriff's desk and sitting down and crossing his blue-jean legs.

"You got what I think you got?" Dockerty asked.

"This here is one of Dud Lloyd's middle boys. This here one is Parker. I waited like you said and he come along and settled down on the ridge there. This here is one of Dud's deer rifles.

Six-power scope on it. It's empty now. No clip, nothing in the chamber."

Dockerty picked it off the front edge of his desk and sighted out the small window at the round Gulf sign on the station down the street.

"Nice big field," he said. He looked over at the boy.

"Shoot as good as it looks?"

"Throws just a hair high and... Screw it, I'm not saying nothing."

"Dud know you got this?"

"Ask him."

"Parker. You're the one works over at Burger King. Whyn't you working?"

"I go back on at..."

"You might as well talk to us, Parker. You cooperate and I think it might keep Dud from peeling all the skin off your ass, big as you are. What were you fixing to do?"

"Scare that freak so's he'd leave town."

"You weren't trying to hit him the first time?"

"Just scare him."

Dockerty shook his head.

"Maybe you can handle a rifle, boy, but you can't handle one that good, so as to hit the handle on the hoe he's carrying, bust it to shit and stick splinters in his leg, not at no seven hundred yards."

"I guess that one came closer than I wanted."

"So if we give you the benefit of the doubt, what's it to you if he stays or leaves?"

"I got sisters and a girlfriend, and a de-gener-ate like him shouldn't be out of jail. He's a danger to every woman in the county."

"And Parker Lloyd is going to protect every woman in the county by shooting some poor weak-headed fella that never hurt anybody."

"That isn't what they say."

"That isn't what who says?"

"Everybody. They say you had to let him go because the only evidence on him was circum-stan-tial."

"The evidence we got says he didn't do it, couldn't have done it and wouldn't have done it if he had a chance."

"You kidding me?"

Dockerty held up his hand.

"God's truth, boy. I swear. I haven't lied in years. Out of practice."

"What... what's going to happen to me?"

"I don't want you to get off to a bad start, boy. I chink we'll call this malicious mischief. You get yourself to the courthouse on Monday at ten in the morning, and I think Judge Muirhead will probably put you on probation and give you oh, I'd guess a hundred hours of community service."

"But my old man is going to..."

"I'll have a talk with Dud. In return for that, Parker, I want you to turn into some kind of motor-mouth between now and when I say stop. I want you telling everybody the old Sheriff has proof Moses didn't do anything illegal except preach in the Mall without permission. You got that!"

"Yeah. I guess so."

' "Yes, sir" sounds better, boy."

"Yes, sir!"

"Take him on home, Harry."

On Friday evening the early thunderstorm turned into a steady misty rain that lasted well into dark, making halos around the commercial lights of Meadows Center and around the home lights of the Settlements and the corner streetlights. Alberta Macy had broiled a nice piece of fish for them and baked two medium-sized potatoes. He pushed the food around on his plate. He said he couldn't eat. She asked him if he would call the doctor and tell him how he felt. Walter said he wasn't sick. She told him he acted sick. He said he couldn't help how he acted. He was not sick. He asked her to leave him alone.

After she cleaned up after the meal, she turned on the television set to the educational channel. Walter always liked Washington Week in Review and Wall Street Week. When she looked at him to see if he was enjoying Wall Street Week, he was looking off to the left of the screen, his expression blank, mouth ajar.

"Would you rather have something else on?" she asked.