Northern Lights (42 page)

An engine started somewhere behind them and a dog barked at the sound. Softly and endlessly, the flag flapped at its steel pole. Harvey’s stone rattled away down Mainstreet.

“How does it sound? Doesn’t it sound great? Addie … Who needs her? Always running around barefoot. Who needs that? We’ll have us a great time. The Big A, right?”

Perry shut his eyes.

“Doesn’t it sound great?” Harvey kept saying. “Doesn’t it?”