It's Friday-do you think you can get your mom and Cliff out of the house for the night?" Phil blinked. "I guess-if Poppy seems better, they might go out for a little while. If I said I'd stay with her." "Convince them they need a break. I don't want them around." "Can't you just make them not notice anything? Like you did with that nurse at the hospital?" Poppy asked. "Not if I'm going to be concentrating on you," James said. "And there are certain people who can't be influenced by mind control at all-your brother, here, is one of them. Your mom could be another." "All right; I'll get them to go out," Phillip said. He gulped, obviously uncomfortable and trying to hide it. "And once they're gone ... then what?" James looked at him inscrutably. "Then Poppy and I do what we have to do. And then you and I watch TV." "Watch TV," Phil repeated, sounding numb. "I've got to be here when the doctor comes-and the people from the funeral home." Phil looked utterly horrified at the mention of the funeral home.
