Dan catches the drift of thoughts, the gentle spill of it, and squeezes Marcus's hand. He knows what it's like, to need to stay at a distance, to keep everything orderly, locked away if it's too dangerous. He remembers how long it had taken after the Overlook not to feel as if any stray thought might worm into his brain, try to hurt him.

It has to be the exorcist thing, he thinks, and by that he means whatever made Marcus able to do great and terrible things for God, that special quality was already there. Just honed now.

"We'll do lots of them," Dan says. "I'd like to go back to the beach, or we could go to the movies. I'll come cook for you."