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James Purcival looked at the ground. "Jesse called on the car phone a few minutes ago Tom. She said Sam, Dusty and Ricky showed back up at the house with the two cats. They told us about the trouble at the shelter." He looked up. "There's been no sign of the two boys." He paused for a minute to let the news sink in for John and me. "I'm sure they're okay, but we do need to get busy and find them." I nodded, heaved my groaning bones to an upright position and grabbed one end of the tarp that John was lying on. "Come on you guys," I said. "Lets get this tub of lard up the hill. I need a bath." I tugged hard at the makeshift stretcher and almost blacked out. Mary saw me stagger.
"Yeah" I said "Guess that swim took it out of me more than I thought." I smelled like the bathroom in an auto repair shop. The cuts and bites from the dogfight at the shelter were swollen and sore. I could barely hold myself up. I dug down for some hidden store of strength still unused. Someone tugged on the leg of my wet pants.
"Use the light, Uncle Tom. Call the light to help you." I looked down at the little black boy. He always showed up at the damndest times. My vision was blurry. I couldn't understand what he meant. I leaned back and looked up at the sky, trying to clear my head. The hazy, crystalline, first light of morning lay on the tops and sides of the buildings above but would not grace the subterranean hollow through which we had to drag John's wounded body. My attention was drawn to it as I gathered my resources for the struggle ahead.

The light was calling me. I lost all consciousness of Radio, James and Mary. I forgot the gnawing cries of my body, worries about Joey and John Jr. and the whole impossible, topsy turvy craziness of my life. Only the light filled my mind...beckoning. Only the crackling, vibrating light pulled me ever upward. Only the fine, shining day...swollen with power...called me by name..."Come my favorite son. Come to me, my darling boy, my straight and true heart, my strong and daring love. Come to me..."