"Good. You wait here, and I'll get a crucifix." The priest hastened from the room, closing the door behind him. But it did not latch securely, and slowly swung open again. And Joe heard the priest's voice speaking urgently on the phone in the hallway outside. He heard a few words, and then, face growing red, he leaped to his feet and made his way swiftly to the door. He let himself out and ran down the steps and across the street to the car. He piled into the front seat and jabbed his thumb on the starter button. "What's the matter?" asked Pearl in alarm. "Nothing much. That priest thinks I'm a nut, and he's calling the local gendarmes. We've got to get out of here before we wind up in the bug-pokey. I've learned one thing in there--we can't go around saying the Devil's chasing us in a Mercury!" "Oh, Joe!" said Pearl, then subsided, her face strained in the darkness as Joe drove hastily out of town. * * * * * "We're almost there," said Pearl. "We've just passed the Jacobi's place." It was after midnight, and Joe sighed in relief. He was tired of driving, and the tension had been telling on him. He had found himself staring at the rear-view mirror half the time, almost dreading the appearance of any headlights coming from behind. And when they had appeared, he had waited anxiously, slowing the car for the headlights to pass. They always did, but he continually expected that they would not, that instead they would pull up behind, and settle into steady pursuit. "Do you think we dare tell your mother anything about all this?" he asked. "Heavens, no!" said Pearl. "At least not for a few days. We can tell Dad, though. I think, without too much trouble. He's always believed me, and he will still, I know." "Then mum's the word until you break the ice," said Joe. "We'll just get the kids to bed, and then get to bed ourselves as fast as we can. There'll be plenty of time later to talk." The porch light was on when he drove the car into the farmyard. A swarm of bugs flew dizzily around it, and literally coated the living-room window, where a light was on. As he turned off the ignition, Pearl's mother appeared in the doorway. "I'll open the door and you come in quick," she called. "I don't want all these bugs to swarm in." "You needn't have left the light on," said Joe. "We'd have found our way." He turned to Pearl. "You take one of the suitcases and go ahead, get the bed ready. I'll bring Sally first, then come back for Jimmy. I don't think either of them will wake up." The children did not wake, although Jimmy mumbled something about horns, and his grandmother thought it was very cute. "The lad's dreaming," she said. "I wish he were," said Joe. Grandmother looked at him blankly. "But he is. He's talking about somebody with horns. He's having a nightmare--oh, he isn't sick, is he?" Immediately she hovered over Jimmy like the epitome of anxiety itself.