Sepia-toned. An auspicious beginning.
"could have held a damned piano if it hadn't been holding Eli Wallace instead" Heaven, that's gorgeous. Moving, elegant and vivid.
And we see the source of Barrett's insistance on "Marlene's schoolin'."
"run for it the way you ran for an opening during a cave-in, with all the energy he had" Holy crud, this is good stuff. This is a heart that burns bright like coal, and a town that can dig a deep tunnel and hide from Meteor.