Under the Dome

'Ask Norrie if they see!' she told Joe.

Big Jim's smile froze into a grimace. 'Woman, put that down!'

'Ask them if they see!'

Joe spoke into the phone. Listened. Then said:'They do. They're seeing Mr Rennie and Officer Randolph. Norrie says they want to know what's happening.'

There was dismay on Randolph's face; fury on Rennie's.' Wlio wants to know?' Randolph asked.

Julia said, 'We've set up a live feed to Dipper's—'

'That sinpit!' Big Jim said. His hands were clenched. Barbie estimated the man was probably a hundred pounds overweight, and he grimaced when he moved his right arm—as if he'd strained it—but he looked like he could still hit. And right now he looked mad enough to take a swing… although whether at him, Julia, or the boy, he didn't know. Maybe Rennie didn't, either.

'People have been gathering there since quarter of eleven,' she said. 'News travels fast.' She smiled with her head cocked to one side. 'Would you like to wave to your constituency, Big Jim?'

'It's a bluff,' Big Jim said.

'Why would I bluff about something so easy to check?' She turned to Randolph.'Call one of your cops and ask them where the big gathering in town is this morning.' Then back to Jim again. 'If you shut this down, hundreds of people will know you closed off their view of an event that vitally concerns them. One their lives may depend on, in fact.'

'You had no sanction!'

Barbie, ordinarily quite good at controlling himself, felt his temper fraying. It wasn't that the man was stupid; he clearly wasn't. And that was exactly what was making Barbie mad.

'What is your problem, exactly? Do you see any danger here? Because I don't. The idea is to set this thing up, leave it broadcasting, then clear out.'

'If the missile doesn't work, it could cause a panic. Knowing something failed is one thing; actually seeing it fail is another. They're apt to do any darn old thing.'

'You have a very low opinion of the people you govern, Selectman.'

Big Jim opened his mouth to retort—something like And they have justified it time and again would have been Barbie's guess—but then remembered that a good portion of the town was watching this confrontation on the big-screen TV. Possibly in HD. 'I'd like you to wipe that sarcastic smile off your face, Barbara.'

'Are we now policing expressions, too?' Julia asked.

Scarecrow Joe covered his mouth, but not before Randolph and Big Jim saw the kid's grin. And heard the snicker that escaped from between his fingers.

'People,' the second lieutenant said, 'you had better clear the scene. Time is passing.'

Julia, turn that camera on me,' Barbie said.

She did so.

16

Dipper's had never been so packed, not even at the memorable New Year's Eve show in 2009 featuring the Vatican Sex Kittens. And it had never been so silent. Over five hundred people stood shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip, watching as the camera on Joe's PowerBook Pro did a dizzying one-eighty and came to rest on Dale Barbara.

'There's my boy,' Rose Twitchell murmured, and smiled.

'Hello there, folks,' Barbie said, and the picture was so good that several people hello'd back. 'I'm Dale Barbara, and I've been recom-missioned as a colonel in the United States Army.'

A general ripple of surprise greeted this.

'The video deal out here on Little Bitch Road is entirely my responsibility, and as you may have gathered, there has been a difference of opinion between myself and Selectman Rennie about whether or not to continue the feed.'

This time the ripple was louder. And not happy.

'We have no time to argue the fine points of command this morning,' Barbie continued. 'We're going to train the camera on the point where the missile is supposed to hit. Whether or not the broadcast continues is in the hands of your Second Selectman. If he kills the feed, take it up with him. Thanks for your attention.'

H|e walked out of the picture. For a moment the gathering on the dance floor had a view of nothing but woods, then the image rotated again, sank, and settled on the floating X. Beyond it, the sentries were packing the last of their gear into two big trucks.

Will Freeman, owner and operator of the local Toyota dealership (and no friend of James Rennie), spoke directly to the TV. 'Leave it alone, Jimmy, or there's gonna be a new Selectman in The Mill by the end of the week.'

There was a general rumble of agreement. The townspeople stood quietly, watching and waiting to see if the current program—both dull and unbearably exciting—would continue, or if the transmission would end.

17

'What do you want me to do, Big Jim?' Randolph asked. He took a handkerchief from his hip pocket and mopped the back of his neck.

'What do you want to do?' Big Jim responded.

For the first time since he'd taken the keys to the green Chief's car, Pete Randolph thought he would be quite willing to turn them over to someone else. He sighed and said, 'I want to let this alone.'