time would pass faster…but he shook his head firmly and went back to his place on the curb。
Now it was five o'clock； and although he didn't have a watch and couldn't tell time too well yet anyway； he was aware of passing time by the lengthening of the shadows； and by the golden cast that now tinged the afternoon light。
Turning the glider over in his hands； he sang under his breath： 〃Skip to m Lou； n I don't care 。 。 。 skip to m Lou； n I don't care 。 。 。 my master's gone away 。 。 。 Lou； Lou； skip to In Lou 。 。 。 〃 They had sung that song all together at the Jack and Jill Nursery School he had gone to back in Stovington。 He didn't go to nursery school out here because Daddy couldn't afford to send him anymore。 He knew his mother and father worried about that； worried that it was adding to his loneliness （and even more deeply； unspoken between them； that Danny blamed them）； but he didn't really want to go to that old Jack and Jill anymore。 It was for babies。 He wasn't quite a big kid yet； but he wasn't a baby anymore。 Big kids went to the big school and got a hot lunch。 First grade。 Next year。 This year was someplace between being a baby and a real kid。 It was all right。 He did miss Scott and Andy…mostly Scott…but it was still all right。 It seemed best to wait alone for whatever might happen next。
He understood a great many things about his parents； and he knew that many times they didn't like his understandings and many other times refused to believe them。 But someday they would have to believe。 He was content to wait。
It was too bad they couldn't believe more； though； especially at times like now。 Mommy was lying on her bed in the apartment； just about crying she was so worried about Daddy。 Some of the things she was worried about were too grown…up for Danny to understand…vague things that had to do with security； with Daddy's selfimage feelings of guilt and anger and the fear of what was to bee of them…but the two main things on her mind right now were that Daddy had had a breakdown in the mountains （then why doesn't he call？） or that Daddy had gone off to do the Bad Thing。 Danny knew perfectly well what the Bad Thing was since Scotty Aaronson； who was six months older； had explained it to him。 Scotty knew because his daddy did the Bad Thing； too。 Once； Scotty told him； his daddy had punched his mom right in the eye and knocked her down。 Finally； Scotty's dad and mom had gotten a DIVORCE over the Bad Thing； and when Danny had known him； Scotty lived with his mother and only saw his daddy on weekends。 The greatest terror of Danny's life was DIVORCE； a word that always appeared in his mind as a sign painted in red letters which were covered with hissing； poisonous snakes。
In DIVORCE； your parents no longer lived together。 They had a tug of war over you in a court （tennis court？ badminton court？ Danny wasn't sure which or if it was some other； but Mommy and Daddy had played both tennis and badminton at Stovington； so he assumed it could be either） and you had to go with one of them and you practically never saw the other one； and the one you were with could marry somebody you didn't even know if the urge came on them。 The most terrifying thing about DIVORCE was that he had sensed the word…or concept； or whatever it was that came to him in his understandings…floating around in his own parents' heads； sometimes diffuse and relatively distant； sometimes as thick and obscuring and frightening as thunderheads。 It had been that way after Daddy punished him for messing the papers up in his study and the doctor had to put his arm in a cast。 That memory was already faded； but the memory of the DIVORCE thoughts was clear and terrifying。 It had mostly been around his mommy that time； and he had been in constant terror that she would pluck the word from her brain and drag it out of her mouth； making it real。 DIVORCE。 It was a constant undercurrent in their thoughts； one of the few he could always pick up； like the beat of simple music。 But like a beat； the central thought formed only the spine of more plex thoughts； thoughts he could not as yet even begin to interpret。
They came to him only as colors and moods。 Mommy's DIVORCE thoughts centered around what Daddy had done to his arm； and what had happened at Stovington when Daddy lost his job。 That boy。 That George Hatfield who got pissed off at Daddy and put the holes in their bug's feet。 Daddy's DIVORCE thoughts were more plex； colored dark violet and shot through with frightening veins of pure black。 He seemed to think they would be better off if he left。 That things would stop hurting。 His daddy… hurt almost all the time； mostly about the Bad Thing。
Danny could almost always pick that up too： Daddy's constant craving to go into a dark place and watch a color TV and eat peanuts out of a bowl and do the Bad Thing until his brain would be quiet and leave him alone。
But this afternoon his mother had no need to worry and he wished he could go to her and tell her that。 The bug had not broken down。 Daddy was not off somewhere doing the Bad Thing。 He was almost home now； put…putting along the highway between Lyons and Boulder。 For the moment his daddy wasn't even thinking about the Bad Thing。 He was thinking about 。 。 。 about 。 。 。
Danny looked furtively behind him at the kitchen window。 Sometimes thinking very hard made something happen to him。 It made things…real things…go away； and then he saw things that weren't there。 Once； not long after they put the cast on his arm； this had happened at the supper table。 They weren't talking much to each other then。 But they were thinking。 Oh yes。 The thoughts of DIVORCE hung over the kitchen table like a cloud full of black rain； pregnant； ready to burst。 It was so bad he couldn't eat。 The thought of eating with all that black DIVORCE around made him want to throw up。 And because it had seemed desperately important； he had thrown himself fully into concentration and something had happened。 When he came back to real things； he was lying on the floor with beans and mashed potatoes in his lap and his mommy was holding him and crying and Daddy had been on the phone。 He had been frightened； had tried to explain to them that there was nothing wrong。 that this sometimes happened to him when he concentrated on understanding more than what normallv came to him。 He tried to explain about Tony； who they called his 〃invisible playmate。〃 His father had said： 〃He's having a Ha Loo Sin Nation。 He seems okay； but I want the doctor to look at him anyway。〃 After the doctor left； Mommy had made him promise to never do that again； to never scare them that way； and Danny had agreed。 He was frightened himself。
Because when he bad concentrated his mind； it had flown out to his daddy； and for just a moment； before Tony had appeared （far away； as be always did； calling distantly） and the strange things had blotted out their kitchen and the carved roast on the blue plate； for just a moment his own consciousness had plunged through his daddy's darkness to an inprehensible word much more frightening than DIVORCE； and that word was SUICIDE。 Danny had never e across it again in his daddy's mind； and he had certainly not gone looking for it。 He didn't care if he never found out exactly what that word meant。
But he did like to concentrate； because sometimes Tony would e。 Not every time。 Sometimes things just got woozy and swimmy for a minute and then cleared… most times； in fact…but at other times Tony would appear at the very limit of his vision； calling distantly and beckoning 。 。 。
It had happened twice since they moved to Boulder； and he remembered how surprised and pleased he had been to find Tony had followed him all the way from Vermont。 So all his friends hadn't been left behind after all。
The first time he had been out in the back yard and nothing much had happened。
Just Tony beckoning and then darkness and a few minutes later he had e back to real things with a few vague fragments of memory； like a jumbled dream。 The second time； two weeks ago； had been more interesting。 Tony； beckoning； calling from four yards over： 〃Danny 。 。 。 e see 。 。 。〃 It seemed that he was getting up； then falling into a deep hole； like Al