The Stand

The following day, Larry and Leo, aka Joe, go to visit Harold. Leo unaccountably lags behind and won’t go inside when they get to Harold’s house. After Larry introduces himself, he and Harold split the bottle of wine he brought. Even though Harold seems pleasant, Larry can’t shake the feeling that something about him is untrustworthy. Leo waits for Larry outside until the visit is over and then offers an opinion about Harold. “He’s not like us. He smiles a lot. But I think there might be worms inside him, making him smile. Big white worms eating up his brain. Like maggots” (799).

The narrative switches to Stu’s point of view. An ad hoc committee of seven members has formed to put a permanent governing body together. These are Nick Andros, Glen Bateman, Ralph Brentner, Richard Ellis, Fran Goldsmith, Stuart Redman, and Susan Stern. Ellis won’t be able to participate, so others recommend Larry as a candidate. Stu mentions this fact to Frannie and wonders why Larry likes Harold so much.

This comment prompts Frannie to think about the change that has come over Harold since they arrived in Boulder. He’s different, but she doesn’t know why.