Chapter 76For a long time, no one spoke on the beach. Larry sobbed; Dave watched and listened.
Eventually, Dave lowered the gun to rest his aching arms. Though he still gripped the weapon with both hands, he let it fall from its position of readiness; the revolver slipped down to his abdomen, barrel pointing at the sand instead of at Larry's skull.
Just as the gun dropped, Larry stopped crying. He sucked in a great breath and held it for a moment.
When he released the breath, his head swung up and his eyes snapped open.
"Okay," he said, his voice steady, amazingly steady in the wake of his torrential weeping.
"Okay," he repeated, and his eyes seemed to clear, fixing upon Dave with a focus which seemed newly calm and direct.
"If I gotta' go, I gotta' go," said Larry. "No use cryin
