Chp.15

Billy calls his old friend Richard Ginelli to tell him what was going on. Richard already knew about the accident and Billy says that he is going to take care of the Gypsy himself. Richard says to just give him a call if he needs any help. Later that night Penschley called and told Billy that the Gypsies he was tracking has cost ten thousand dollars. The Gypsies had been traveling all over and Penschley tells Billy everywhere they have been. Penschley was a week behind the Gypsies but he thinks they are in Maine now. Billy finds out that the guy who cursed him, Taduz Lemke, was 106 years old. Billy tells them to keep following the Gypsies and that he will call Penschley in four days to see if they had located them. Billy says that he will be traveling but doesn't clarify to where.

Chp.14

When Billy got home he realized Linda wasn't there and found out that Heidi sent her to her aunt's house because she was losing her mind. Billy told her about where he had been the last few nights because she was very worried. Houston called the next day and didn't believe that there was a link between all of the three weird diseases. Billy now weighs 170 with a net loss of 83 pounds. Houston tells him that two days ago Duncan shot himself with his own pistol. Billy argues with Houston about being cursed for a while and Billy thinks that if he can find the Gypsy he might be able to get healed. Billy found out that if he skipped any meals he lost more weight and ended up losing 5 pounds in one day. That week the Glassman Clinic called several times and Billy ignored them. Then Houston called and told Billy that he should really consider going back because his wife was really scared for him. Billy was now down to 156.

Chp.13

The only reason Billy checked into the Glassman Clinic was to keep his wife and daughter calm. He was given all types of X rays and exams. During his three-day stay he lost 7 pounds and realized that he could see his ribs now. The doctors wanted Billy to stay another week or two but Billy said he had to leave. They try to convince Billy to stay but Billy didn't budge. They even offered to pay for the tests too but inside Billy knew that they couldn't help him. On the way home Billy decided to start smoking again and after the first 3 puffs he felt so sick he threw them away.

Chp.12

Billy could now see his cheekbones and the outline of many others. Billy calls his boss Kirk Penschley to get time off from work for his appointment. Billy ends up asking Kirk if he can track down the Gypsies for him. Billy gives Kirk the leader of the Gypsies name and Kirk says that he can probably trace them. Billy went to the police station to see if Duncan was there and the assistant chief said that he had the flu. Billy ends up calling Dr. Houston to find out what is wrong with Hopley. After arguing Houston finally tells Billy that Hopley has a case of acne. Billy decided to driver over to Duncan's house and he rang the doorbell. After a while Duncan lets him in and into his den. The room was dark and only a lamp was on hiding Duncan's face. Billy finds out that he has also been touched by the Gypsy. After talking Duncan shines the light on his face and Billy describes it as a harsh alien landscape. Billy says that he wants to find the old Gypsy who cursed him and Duncan says he wants to kill him.

Chp.11

Leda described Cary's skin as armored and couldn't even look at him. The scales had covered Cary's chest and all of his stomach. As the nights progressed it only got worse, spreading up his neck and to his face. Leda thinks that he is turning into an alligator. Cary even is getting scales in his mouth making him talk in grunts. Billy walked home in the cold rain and when he arrived he lied about where he had been. Billy is thinking about Duncan Hopley and that maybe something happened to him as well. The next morning Billy was down to 176.

Chp.10

Billy found himself actually missing his gut he used to have. The metabolic series would be at the Henry Glassman Clinic and would last for three days starting in a week. Linda was upset by her dad's weight loss and fled the dinner table crying one night. Billy had gotten down to 180 and was wondering when the last time he weighed 180 was. It wasn't since he was a senior in high school. The day before the appointment Billy thought that he would go to Cary Rossington's house. His wife answered the door and they stood quietly looking at each other for a while. Finally Billy asked if Cary was there. She tried to lie to Billy about where Cary was but Billy hadn't been tricked. He told her he had lost seventy pounds and may be cursed and needed to talk to Cary. She finally let Billy in and made him and herself a martini. She told Billy that Cary went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and that Cary thinks he might have cancer. None of the medical creams and shots had cured him and now they think he might have skin cancer. It turns out that Cary had been touched by the Gypsy as well. She tells Billy that Cary is growing scales like a reptile.

Chp.9

The next day Billy went out and bought new clothes that fit him. A week passed and already the new clothes were looking baggy on him. He approached the scale with his heart thudding. 188. He felt as if he was going to vomit but at last the nausea passed. Billy discusses his problem with Heidi and she was glad that he put the conversation in the open. She wants him to go back to Houston and get the metabolic series. Billy has now lost a total of 61 pounds. Heidi convinced Billy to get the metabolic series despite Billy knowing he was cursed.