Summary

Chapter 9. Collie and Steve uncover a gate at the back of Doc's yard that leads into the greenbelt. It takes some time, but they find the path Collie told Steve about and begin working their way toward Hyacinth. As they walk, they begin to notice unnatural looking cactus growing along the edge of the path. Collie touches one and it pricks his finger. When they reach a fork in the path, they find a homeless man impaled on a cactus. The two men turn and see that the path is transforming before their eyes, going from green to a desert landscape. They can also hear the howls of some sort of coyote.

Audrey is deep inside her mind at the place in Mohonk where she once spent a wonderful day with her friend Janice. While she is there, thinking of how trite the conversation is...