Part IV, Chapter 2 Summary

David continues his story, despite Johnny's sarcastic and biting remarks, and tells them of the first one to be possessed, Cary Ripton. When the mine blasters opened the pit where the can tahs were, Cary tells the men to leave it alone and mark it off limits, but that night Ripton goes into the mine and pulls all of the fragments out, seduced by their power. He distributes the can tahs all over town that night. When he returns to the mine he sees all sorts of animals and insects there, all carrying can tahs and taking them around the countryside. Tak has possessed Cary Ripton, and Cary then systematically kills everyone on his crew. David describes how Tak moves from Cary to Brad.

As Johnny is listening to the story, he gets a cola and accidentally drops his...