Storm of the Century Read online

  LINDA ST. PIERRE is with HEIDI. The attention of all the parents is not on their sleeping children, however, but on ROBBIE, the self-appointed moderator . . . and on their fellow ISLANDERS, who will decide the fate of their children.

  Making a tremendous effort to get his act together, ROBBIE looks beneath the podium and brings out a GAVEL old and heavy, a relic that has been handed down from the seventeenth century.

  ROBBIE looks at it for a moment as if he's never seen it before, then brings it down with a HARD

  BANGING SOUND. Several people jump.

  ROBBIE

  I call the meeting to order. I think it'll be best if we deal with this matter the way we would any other piece of town business. After all, that's what it is, isn't it? Town business?

  SILENCE and strained faces greet this. MIKE looks as if he would like to respond, but doesn't.

  MOLLY continues to look at her husband ANXIOUSLY and to caress his hand, which is tightly (painfully, one would think) enfolding hers.

  ROBBIE

  Any objection to that?

  SILENCE. ROBBIE brings the gavel down again WHACK! and once again, people jump. Not the KIDS, though. They are deeply asleep again. Or comatose.

  ROBBIE

  The item on the floor is whether or not to give this . . . this thing that's come among us ... one of our children. He says he'll go away if we give him what he wants, and kill us all the kids included if we don't. Have I stated it fairly?

  SILENCE.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 331

  ROBBIE

  All right. How say you then, Little Tall? Will you speak of this?

  SILENCE. Then CAL FREESE gets slowly to his feet. He looks around at his fellow ISLANDERS.

  CAL

  I don't see what choice we have, if we believe he can do what he says he can do.

  ROBERTA COIGN

  243

  Do you believe him?

  CAL

  First thing I asked myself. And . . . ayuh, I do. I've seen enough to convince me. I think we either give him what he wants or he'll take everything we have . . . includin' our kids.

  CAL sits down.

  ROBBIE

  Roberta Coign's got a good point, though. How many of you think Linoge is telling the truth? That he can and will wipe out everyone on the island, if we go against him?

  SILENCE. They all believe it, but no one wants to be first to hoist his or her hand.

  DELLA BISSONETTE

  We all had the same dream . . . and they weren't regular dreams. I know that. We all know that.

  He's given us fair warning.

  She raises her hand.

  BURT SOAMES There's nothin' fair about it, but

  One of BURT'S arms is in a makeshift sling, but he raises his unhurt one in the air. Others follow suit, at first just a few, then more, then almost all of them. HATCH and MOLLY are among the last to raise

  332 STEPHEN KING

  their hands. Only MIKE sits grimly where he is, keeping the hand MOLLY'S not holding in his lap.

  MOLLY (low, to MIKE)

  It's not a question of what we're going to do, Mike . . . not yet. It's just whether or not we believe

  MIKE

  I know what the question is. And once we start down this road, every step gets easier. I know that, too.

  ROBBIE

  (lowering his own hand)

  All right, I guess we believe him. That's one issue out of the way. Now, if there's any discussion of the main question

  MIKE

  (to his feet) I have something to say.

  ROBBIE That's fine. You're a taxpayer, sure enough. Have on.

  MIKE walks slowly up the stairs to the stage. MOLLY watches apprehensively. MIKE doesn't bother with the podium; he simply turns to his fellow ISLANDERS. We take several beats to FOCUS

  and build tension as he thinks about how to begin.

  MIKE

  No, he's not a man. I didn't vote, but I agree with that, just the same. I've seen what he did to 244

  Martha Clarendon, what he did to Peter Godsoe, what he's done to our kids and I don't believe he's a man. I had the same dreams that you had, and I understand the reality of what he's threatening as well as you do. Better, maybe I'm your constable, the man you elected to enforce your laws.

  But . . . folks . . . we don't give our kids away to thugs. Do you understand that? We don't give away our children!

  At the back of the room, where the children are, ANDY ROBICHAUX steps forward.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 333

  ANDY

  What's the choice, then? What do we do? What can we do?

  A DEEP MURMUR OF AGREEMENT greets this, and MIKE is troubled, we can see that. Because the only answer he has makes no sense. It has only the virtue of being right.

  MIKE

  Stand against him, side by side and shoulder to shoulder. Tell him no in one voice. Do what it says on the door we use to get in here trust in God and each other. And then . . . maybe ... he goes away. The way storms always do, when they've blown themselves out.

  ORV BOUCHER

  (stands)

  And if he starts pointing his cane around? What then? What about when we start to drop like flies on a windowsill?

  MURMUR OF AGREEMENT is louder.

  P REV. BOB RIGGINS

  (stands)

  "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's." You said that to me yourself, Michael, not an hour ago. Book of Matthew.

  MIKE

  "Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savorest not the things that be of God." Book of Mark.

  (looks around)

  Folks ... if we give up a child one of our own how will we live with each other, even if he lets us live?

  ROBBIE

  Very well, that's how.

  MIKE turns to look at him, stunned. At the back of the room, JACK CARVER comes forward to the head of the center aisle. When he speaks, MIKE turns back that way. He's being bombarded from all directions.

  334 STEPHEN KING

  JACK

  We've all got things we live with, Mike. Or maybe you're different.

  245

  That hits home. We see MIKE remembering. He addresses JACK and all of them.

  MIKE

  No, I'm no different. But this isn't like trying to live with a test you cheated on, or a one-night stand, or the memory of somebody you hurt when you were drunk and in an ugly frame of mind.

  This is a child. Don't you understand that, Jack?

  He's maybe getting to them . . . then ROBBIE speaks up.

  ROBBIE

  Suppose you're right about being able to send him away suppose we just put our arms around each other, gather our will, and give out a big collective "NO!" Suppose we do that and he just disappears? Goes back to wherever he came from?

  MIKE looks at him warily, waiting for the hook.

  ROBBIE

  You saw our children. I don't know what he's actually done with them, but I have no doubt that flying high over the earth is an accurate representation of it. They can fall. I believe that. All he has to do is wave that cane of his, and they fall. How do we live with ourselves if that happens? Do we tell ourselves that we killed all eight of them because we were too good, too holy, to sacrifice one of them?

  MIKE

  He could be bluffing

  MELINDA

  (sharp; unfriendly) He's not, Michael, and you know it. You saw it.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 335

  TAVIA GODSOE comes hesitantly forward to the head of the center aisle, which seems to be the preferred speaking position for the ISLANDERS. She talks hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence.

  *" TAVIA You speak as though he were going to kill the child, Michael ... as though it were some kind of ... of human sacrifice. It sounds more like an adoption to me.

  She looks around, smiling tentatively if we have to do this, let's make the best of it. Let's look on the bright side.

  JONAS

  And
a long life, as well! (pause) If you believe him, that is. And after seeing him, I ... actually, I guess I do.

  MURMURS of agreement. And approval.

  MIKE

  Linoge beat Martha Clarendon to death with his cane! Knocked the eyes right out of her head!

  We're debating whether or not to give a child to a monster!

  SILENCE greets this. Folks drop their eyes to the floor, cheeks red, ashamed. REV. BOB RIGGINS

  sits down again. His wife puts a hand on his arm and looks at MIKE resentfully.

  HENRY BRIGHT

  Maybe that's so, but what about the rest of the kids? Do we say no and then watch them die right 246

  in front of us?

  KIRK

  Yeah, Mike what happened to the good of the most?

  MIKE has no real answer for this.

  MIKE

  He could be bluffing about the kids, too. Satan's the father of lies, and this guy has got to be a close relation.

  336 STEPHEN KING

  JILL ROBICHAUX (shrill and angry)

  Is that a risk you want to take? Fine . . . but take it with your son, not mine!

  LINDA ST. PIERRE My sentiments exactly.

  HENRY BRIGHT

  You want to know the worst thing I can think of, Michael? Suppose you're half right? Suppose we live . . . and they die.

  (points to the KIDS)

  How will we look at each other then? How will we live with each other then?

  JACK And how would we ever live with you?

  UGLY ASSENTING MURMURS to this. JACK the gay-basher goes back to his sleeping little boy and sits down beside him. MIKE has no real answer for this, either. We can see him floundering for one and not rinding it.

  ROBBIE looks at the clock. It's 9:20.

  ROBBIE

  He said half an hour. That leaves us ten minutes.

  MIKE

  We can't do this! Can't you see? Don't you understand? We can't allow him to SONNY

  (not unkindly)

  I think we've heard your side of it, Mike. Take a seat, why don't you?

  MIKE looks at them helplessly. He's not stupid, and he can see which way the wind is blowing.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 337

  MIKE

  You need to think about this, folks. You need to think about it very carefully.

  He goes back down the steps and sits beside MOLLY. He takes her hand. She lets him hold it for a second or two, then draws it away.

  MOLLY I want to sit with Ralphie, Mike.

  247

  She gets up and goes down the center aisle to where the KIDS are sleeping on their cots. She disappears into the circle of parents without a look back.

  ROBBIE

  Do you have more, folks? What's your pleasure?

  A moment of SILENCE.

  URSULA

  (steps forward)

  God help us, but let's give him what he wants. Give him what he wants and send him on his way.

  I don't care about my life, but the children . . . even if it's Sally. Better she should live with a bad man than . . . than die . . .

  (she looks around, weeping)

  My God, Michael Anderson, where's your heart? They're children! We can't let him kill the children!

  She goes back to the kids. MIKE, meanwhile, is being isolated in a circle of hostile eyes.

  ROBBIE

  (glances at the clock) Anyone else?

  MIKE starts to get up. HATCH puts his hand on his arm and squeezes. When MIKE looks at him, surprised and questioning, HATCH gives a tiny shake of the head. "Stop," that small headshake says; "you've done all you can do."

  338 STEPHEN KING

  MIKE shakes him off and stands up again. He doesn't use the stage this time, but addresses his fellow ISLANDERS from where he is.

  MIKE

  Don't. Please. The Andersons go back to 1735 here on Little Tall. I ask you as an islander and as Ralphie Anderson's father don't do this. Don't give in to this, (pause) This is damnation.

  He looks around desperately. None of them, not even his own wife, will meet his eyes. SILENCE

  descends again. It's broken only by the WHINE OF THE WIND outside and the TICK OF THE

  REGULATOR CLOCK.

  MIKE

  All right, I move to restrict the vote. Let the parents vote, and the parents only. They're all residents

  LINDA ST. PIERRE No, that's not fair.

  She touches her sleeping daughter's brow with gentle love.

  LINDA ST. PIERRE

  I've raised her by myself oh, with plenty of help from folks on the island, including you and your wife, Mike but mostly by myself. I shouldn't have to make a decision like this all by myself. What's a community for, if it isn't to help people when something terrible happens? When none of the choices look good?

  ANDY

  248

  Couldn't have said it better myself, Lin.

  MIKE But

  MANY VOICES

  Sit down . . . Call the question . . . Let's vote!

  (etc.)

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 339

  ROBBIE

  Will somebody move the question of who can vote? It's probably not parliamentary, but we have to move on. I'd prefer to hear from one of the parents.

  A moment of TENSE SILENCE, then:

  * 1

  MELINDA HATCHER

  I move everybody votes.

  CARLA BRIGHT I second it.

  MIKE This isn't

  ANGIE Shut up! You've had your say, now just shut up!

  ROBBIE

  It's been moved and seconded that everyone be allowed to vote on whether or not to give Mr.

  Linoge what he has demanded. Those in favor?

  Every hand goes up except for MIKE'S. He sees that MOLLY has also raised her hand, sees she won't look at him, and something in him dies a little.

  ROBBIE Those opposed?

  Not a single hand goes up. MIKE simply sits in the front row, his head dropped.

  ROBBIE

  (whacks the gavel) The motion carries.

  TESS MARCHANT Call the question, Robbie Beals. The real question.

  340 STEPHEN KING

  118 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT, WITH LINOGE.

  He looks up at the ceiling, EYES GLEAMING in the gloom. They're going to vote, and he knows it.

  119 INTERIOR: RESUME TOWN MEETING HALL NIGHT.

  JOANNA

  For God's sake let's vote and have done!

  MIKE

  249

  My son isn't a part of this. Let's understand that, all right? He's not a part of this . . . obscenity.

  MOLLY Yes. He is.

  UTTER SILENCE greets this. MIKE stands up and looks unbelievingly at his wife. They face each other that way across the length of the meeting hall.

  MOLLY

  We've never shirked our duty, Michael, we've taken part in all the life of this island, and we'll take part in this.

  MIKE You don't mean it you can't mean it.

  MOLLY I do.

  MIKE It's insane.

  MOLLY

  Maybe but it's not an insanity we made. Michael

  MIKE

  I'm leaving. Screw this. Screw all of you. I'm taking my son and leaving.

  He gets about three steps before the self-appointed sergeants-at-arms grab him and yank him back to his seat. MOLLY sees MIKE struggling,

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 341

  sees how rough they're being they don't like his disapproval of this highly questionable decision and runs down the aisle toward him.

  MIKE Hatch! Help me!

  But HATCH turns away, FACE FLUSHING WITH EMBARRASSMENT. And when MIKE lunges in his direction, LUCIEN smashes him in the nose. Blood flows.

  MOLLY Stop it! Stop hurting him! Mike, are you all right? Are you MIKE

  Get away from me. You want to do it before I lose control of myself and spit in your face.

  She takes a step back from him, eyes huge and shocked.

  MOLLY

  Mike, if y
ou'd only see . . . this isn't our decision to make alone. This affects the whole town!

  MIKE

  I know it does what else have I been saying? Get away from me, Molly.

  She backs away, GRIEVING and SORROWFUL. SONNY BRAUTIGAN hands MIKE a handkerchief.

  MIKE

  You can let go. I'll sit.

  They let go, but warily. On the podium, ROBBIE looks on with unmistakable satisfaction. "This may be a bad situation," his face says, "but at least our self-righteous prick of a constable is taking a face-washing, and that's something."

  250

  MOLLY, meanwhile, backs away from MIKE, who won't look at her. Her face twists and crumples.

  WEEPING, she walks toward the back of the room. People sitting on the aisle pat her hands and WHISPER COMFORTS and ENCOURAGEMENTS as she goes "That's all right, 342 STEPHEN KING

  deah" . . . "He'll come around" . . . "You're doing the right thing." At the back of the room, MELINDA, JILL, and LINDA ST. PIERRE enfold her.