Wolves of the Calla - Stephen King [227]
Callahan hesitated. He looked away, lips pressed together in a tight white line. Then he looked back. “You will prevent it,” he said. “As her dinh.”
Roland thought, I have just been Castled.
“All right,” he said. “I will tell her of our talk and make sure she understands the position you’ve put us in. And I’ll tell her that she must not tell Eddie.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’d kill you, Pere. He’d kill you for your interference.”
Roland was somewhat gratified by the widening of Callahan’s eyes. He reminded himself again that he must raise no feelings in himself against this man, who simply was what he was. Had he not already spoken to them of the trap he carried with him wherever he went?
“Now listen to me as I’ve listened to you, for you now have a responsibility to all of us. Especially to ‘the woman.’ ”
Callahan winced a little, as if struck. But he nodded. “Tell me what you’d have.”
“For one thing, I’d have you watch her when you can. Like a hawk! In particular I’d have you watch for her working her fingers here.” Roland rubbed above his left eyebrow. “Or here.” Now he rubbed at his left temple. “Listen to her way of speaking. Be aware if it speeds up. Watch for her to start moving in little jerks.” Roland snapped a hand up to his head, scratched it, snapped it back down. He tossed his head to the right, then looked back at Callahan. “You see?”
“Yes. These are the signs that Mia is coming?”
Roland nodded. “I don’t want her left alone anymore when she’s Mia. Not if I can help it.”
“I understand,” Callahan said. “But Roland, it’s hard for me to believe that a newborn, no matter who or what the father might have been—”
“Hush,” Roland said. “Hush, do ya.” And when Callahan had duly hushed: “What you think or believe is nothing to me. You’ve yourself to look out for, and I wish you well. But if Mia or Mia’s get harms Rosalita, Pere, I’ll hold you responsible for her injuries. You’ll pay to my good hand. Do you understand that?”
“Yes, Roland.” Callahan looked both abashed and calm. It was an odd combination.
“All right. Now here’s the other thing you can do for me. Comes the day of the Wolves, I’m going to need six folken I can absolutely trust. I’d like to have three of each sex.”
“Do you care if some are parents with children at risk?”
“No. But not all. And none of the ladies who may be throwing the dish—Sarey, Zalia, Margaret Eisenhart, Rosalita. They’ll be somewhere else.”
“What do you want these six for?”
Roland was silent.
Callahan looked at him a moment longer, then sighed. “Reuben Caverra,” he said. “Reuben’s never forgot his sister and how he loved her. Diane Caverra, his wife…or do’ee not want couples?”
No, a couple would be all right. Roland twirled his fingers, gesturing for the Pere to continue.
“Cantab of the Manni, I sh’d say; the children follow him like he was the Pied Piper.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to. They follow him, that’s the important part. Bucky Javier and his wife…and what would you say to your boy, Jake? Already the town children follow him with their eyes, and I suspect a number of the girls are in love with him.”
“No, I need him.”
Or can’t bear to have him out of your sight? Callahan wondered…but did not say. He had pushed Roland as far as was prudent, at least for one day. Further, actually.
“What of Andy, then? The children love him, too. And he’d protect them to the death.”
“Aye? From the Wolves?”
Callahan looked troubled. Actually it had been rock-cats he’d been thinking of. Them, and the sort of wolves that came on four legs. As for the ones that came out of Thunderclap…
“No,” Roland said. “Not Andy.”
“Why not? For ’tisn’t to fight the Wolves you want these six for, is it?”
“Not Andy,” Roland repeated. It was just a feeling, but his feelings were his version of the touch. “There’s time to think about it, Pere…and we’ll think, too.”
“You’re going out into the town.”
“Aye. Today and every day for the next few.”
Callahan grinned. “Your friends and I would call it ‘schmoozing.’ It’s a Yiddish word.”