How to use "what" in a sentence

I suddenly realise what I'm doing and pull the bottle out of my mouth

Now look what you've done! Says the first voice.

I know exactly what I've done

Suddenly, I know what I'm going to do

I'll let you know what happens.'

Aron had an email address - but what was it? She found his name, but had to answer a secret question to read his emails

In fact, I don't know what is real and what isn't anymore

But what if I tie a sock around my hand to protect it? I do this and it works

Then I tell them what to do with my dead body

I realise what it means

I shake my head, unable to believe what I see.

He asks me what happened in the canyon and I begin telling my story

He wants to know what happened in the canyon

He pulls at the things over my right arm and asks Steve what they are.

That's what I told myself

And that's what I did.

Captain Farragut didn't know what to do.

"My God! If a cannon can't kill this monster, what can?"

"Conseil, my boy, what are you doing here?"

But what happened to the ship?"

Now, you must do what I say."

"Well, I enjoy this room, but what I really prefer is looking out there."

I had a small telescope with me, so I put it up to my eye to see what he was looking at

Captain Nemo was upset about something, and he had the power to tell us what to do

"May I ask what happened?"

I wanted to know what the others thought of Captain Nemo

Imagine what we saw - penguins, whales, polar bears, dolphins, icebergs! It was like a dream and we saw it from the inside of the Nautilus.

They did not know what it was

The men and I need to know what you plan to do with us."

Suddenly, I thought I understood what the men below said in their strange language

I do not know what happened to Captain Nemo and the Nautilus

'Well, what's it doing up there? Take it away!' said the Rabbit angrily.

'But how? I have to eat or drink something, but the question is - what?'

Now what is the answer to that?'

'But what did the Mouse say?' asked the King.

'Do what you like,' they said.

'That's what I am

She was laughing and kissing me, and I didn't know what to do.

The other people - two men and a girl - didn't know what to say.

You can guess what I had to do, can't you? I had to throw away my medal with the other American soldiers

'I don't know what happened to Jenny

'You're just what I need for a film that I'm making

Back at our hotel, the three of us sat in our room and tried to decide what to do.

'Forrest,' said Mr Tribble, 'You're a wonderful chess player, but I never know what's going to happen next! Here's half of the money that you've won - it's almost five thousand dollars

But Jenny only did what she had to do

A lot of people say that they married an idiot, but they don't know what it's like to marry a real one

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

"Resolved: that the maintenance inviolate of the rights of the States, and especially the right of each State to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to that balance of power on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depend, and we denounce the lawless invasion by armed force of the soil of any State or Territory, no matter under what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes."

It is scarcely questioned that this provision was intended by those who made it for the reclaiming of what we call fugitive slaves; and the intention of the lawgiver is the law

The power confided to me will be used to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government, and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere

To avoid misconstruction of what I have said, I depart from my purpose not to speak of particular amendments so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be implied Constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable.

I don't claim any constitutionality for a rebellion successful or otherwise, so long as that rebellion means in the ordinary sense of the term, what it does mean, namely, wresting justice by violent means

Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

I decided what kind of people they were before they said a word to me

I did not know what he was talking about.

Now I understood what he was talking about.

'I have come back,' he said, 'because I want to find out what my friend has done with the insurance forms

I went to see what he wanted

He's just been telling me what pleasure you both give him

She was worried about what would happen to her uncle when she died

'Give me what you always give me for breakfast, lunch and dinner

We know what you were planning

'I knew what kind of man you are, you see

'I have done what I promised to do.' Meltham said sadly to me

He thought it was somebody falling against the fence, but he did not look to see what it was

Although we do not know what time the killer arrived there, we know what his victim did and can follow her movements on the night of September 29-30th.

So what was the murderer doing? To the police Jack the Ripper was a mystery

'Did you hear what Mme Magloire was saying?'

'But what about the candlesticks? I gave you those as well, don't you remember? They're silver like the rest, and worth at least two hundred francs

He moved his feet nervously, uncertain of what to say at first

He did not know what to think

But now, for the first time in twenty years, a man had shown him great kindness, and he did not know what to feel.

Then, his heart full of grief for what he had done, he buried his face in his hands and, for the first time in nineteen years, he cried.

As she was wandering around the town, desperately trying to decide what to do, she noticed a crowd of people in the market square

What could she do? She had sold her hair and her teeth; what else could she sell? And then she decided that she had no other choice: she would have to sell herself.

But he kept his suspicions to himself, not daring to say what he really believed: that M

Now I've become a bad woman, but what choice did I have? I'll never get my daughter back if I don't make money.'

'But I saw what happened in the street just now,' M

The devil had suddenly decided to be kind, and she did not know what to think.

'I heard what you said,' M

'Well, Javert, what is it?' M

'Told them what about me?'

But what choice did he have? The truth was more important than anything else.

Champmathieu went home in a state of total confusion, thinking all men mad and understanding nothing of what had happened.

'Then what can we say to her when she wakes up?' The nurse looked suddenly worried

'I know what you've come for,' he said quietly so that Fantine wouldn't hear

Fantine, who had heard what M

She turned her back on the room and began to play with it, hoping that no one could see what she was doing

By keeping close to the walls in the shadows, he could clearly see what was happening in the light

One day, however, his grandfather discovered what he was doing

Every day for the next month, Marius went to the Luxembourg Gardens, excited by knowing that the girl was secretly looking at him, but too shy and embarrassed to know what to do

Leblanc had begun to suspect what was happening because often, when Marius appeared, he got to his feet and walked away, taking his daughter with him

From what they were shouting at each other, he understood that they were running from the police

Now, after his conversation with the girl from the next room, he understood what real poverty was

'Let's see what these people are really like,' Marius thought

Marius, depressed at what he saw, was going to get down from the cupboard when the door of the Jondrettes' room opened and the elder girl came in

'Is that what you want?' she said, a disappointed look on her face.

'We'll know what to do about it.' And then, as he was going to leave the room, he turned to his wife and said, 'You know, it's lucky he didn't recognize me

But what could he do? He could not warn M

Now, what do you want?'

'Now we must discuss what else is needed.'

'I don't know what you're talking about,' M

'I don't know who you are, but I know what you are

'That's what you rich people call people like me, isn't it? Just because I've failed in business

I'll tell you what to say.'

He immediately saw what he had to do

'I'm sorry, but what do you mean?'

Forgive me for talking like this, I don't know what I'm saying - perhaps I'm annoying you? But the truth is, I can't live without you.'

Marius caught her and held her tightly in his arms without realizing what he was doing, lost in a mist of love

He replied, in a voice so low that she could hardly hear it, 'I don't understand what you mean.'

'But what are you going to do?'

'Well then,' the old man shouted, 'what do you want?'

'Well, what is it exactly that you want?'

" That's what you think, isn't it? Well, my boy, you can do whatever you want

Although this made him very unpopular, he thought that his opponents would be too weak to prevent him from doing what he wanted

She rested her head on his knee and said without looking at him, 'Oh, what happiness

If he kept the letter in his pocket, Cosette would never know what had happened to the other man, and life with her would continue the same as before

He did not know what part of the city he was passing under or how far he had come

Give me half of what you found in this man's pockets, and I'll unlock the gate for you.' He produced a large key from his pocket, and a piece of rope

Valjean went into his house and called, 'It's me!' Climbing the stairs, he paused for a moment to look out of the window to see what Javert was doing

Marius, meanwhile, tried to make sense of what had happened to him

Valjean realized what was happening; Marius was telling the servants not to make him welcome any more

'What! Are you denying what I said? Those are facts!'

'And what crimes are those?'

'Cosette, did you hear what he said?' Marius cried, tears of shame and guilt rolling down his cheeks

And do you know what he did? He saved my life and he brought me back to you

'But what?'

He watches us all from above and knows what he is doing among his splendid stars

She was greatly amazed to see how her grandmother looked in her nightclothes, and said to her, "Grandmother, what big arms you have!"

"Grandmother, what big legs you have!"

"Grandmother, what big ears you have!"

"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"

"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"

I try to remember my face, I try to remember the colour of my hair or what my eyes look like

But what is her name? I pull the last item from my pocket

I do not know what to do for a moment

but what do you want? You have my money."

"Then what?" shouts Hastings.

And this is my part; I take the laptop from the bag and put it in front of him and open it, "Do you know what this is?"

"And what now?" Hastings says

And maybe you want to know what we plan to do with the money.

"Right," he says, and tries to smile to relax her, "what's all this about, then? The officer at the front desk says you need to speak to someone."

"About what?"

And Detective, you might think that I'm crazy, but I know what this man wants..."

I know what he wants

I know what he wants!" And she begins to cry.

"Oh I know," she says, and he sees that something in her deep-green eyes, and he thinks that he knows what it is now

"A what?" asks Gerry.

He tries to see what the dark shape is, but the evening light is too weak

And Gerry remembers the old factory on the Thames and the boxes with the different addresses and the story about what Big Jones does when people steal from him

You do what I say, no problem." And Nick looks at him for a moment: "You look okay now: these new clothes aren't bad."

"But what if someone sees me? What if they stop me?"

Can he leave the bag? Can he just run away? Run away? When he knows what the man is going to do?

For a moment he has no idea what to do or where to go

And now? Now what?

And there are more cries from the crowd, and everyone seems to know what is happening now

"Well, I wonder what the other people at our table are like

"Oh, I think I can look after myself," responds Eleanor, and again Carolina thinks what a sweet, lovely thing she is

"And what is this interesting conversation that I am interrupting?"

"You see, we all have very different ideas about what the perfect murder is

"Maybe," she says with another shy smile, "but you first: what's your idea for the perfect murder weapon?"

"So what about characters and motive?" he continues.

"So what's the motive?" Michael asks.

And if they are detected, so what? They are his pills."

There are people there already, neighbours, and this is just what she wants

"But what about the woman's motive?" Michael asks.

But no, it cannot be what they think it is.

In reality, however, all he does is press 'play' on the recording device and write down a few notes about when the judge enters, when the prosecution or defence speaks, or what the final verdict is

It is obvious what the decision will be, but it looks like he will be here until four now

I don't know what you heard, but I love my sister, and I used to love my husband."

For a second he does not know what to say, but he knows what to do, and he pulls his hand away and moves to the door

"Fine, go and tell them what you heard

So you can tell them what you want, but they can do nothing, and you are still here in Bristol, and so is my family

And they will not like what you say

And you try to remember what it was, but you cannot.

So you listen, and you look, and you try to remember what it was that woke you

He looks to the right wall and sees what he is looking for: a large wooden box with two doors.

He pauses for a moment to try and remember what he has to do next, but then the door to the church opens again, and three women enter

"Yes, I'm here," he says, and for a moment there is silence before he remembers what to say

"Well, I tell you what

The skin is raw, and he tries to remember exactly what happened last night, but he cannot

What did he do last night? He tries to remember, he tries to remember exactly what happened

But before he can decide what, the cop is at the door, and Dan drops his cigarette.

Jesus, is this it? Did he really do something to that girl? More than hit her once? Did he do what they said on the radio? Was she dead?

Is that what he wants? "The trunk? Can I ask why?"

I know exactly what to do."

"Or what, Greg? Or what?"

So that's what they did: they took the kid as he walked into town

That is what Greg told the hotel, even if that part was not true.

"God, what kind of kid goes to a school like this?"

"And what about the students?" Smith asks them both.

"No, it's not what you think

I came here to tell Mr Cliff what the headmaster said about the argument."

He tries to remember exactly what happened

"So what can we shoot?" Junior asks.

And Owen realises that the boy does not understand what poaching is.

Owen thinks about what to say

But what if someone sees us?"

For the first time in many years Owen and Junior seem to be exactly what they are: father and son

"Exactly!" says Owen, and he feels full of pride and thinks what a wonderful day this is: out in the beauty of the Welsh countryside with his son.

And for a while they walk, and he is happy about how carefully Junior holds the gun and how he listens and does exactly what he should

"Dad?" Junior whispers, and he looks scared "what's that noise? Is it the police?" And Owen signals him to be quiet

But then Owen sees what is behind the trees: brown hair, big gentle eyes..

But before he can do this, Junior, who does not know what is making the noise, remembers his dad's words:

And you know what? It's something that's very important to you too.

You know what I mean when I say a nobody? I mean Jimmy wasn't rich, and he wasn't too bright, you know? Not very clever, really

Oh boy, what a talent! What a skill Jimmy had!

A choice about what to do with this talent

Do you know what I mean when I say cheat? I mean you use the little tricks, the fast fingers and the good memory, but you use it to break the rules of the game.

And do you know what choice Jimmy Lane made?

Hank Wynn does not stop to watch what happens next

But then he slowly says something as if he does not himself believe what he is saying

And they shut the door on what remains of Jimmy Lane.

She does not want to think about what the police are calling the tube murders

She looks to see what the pain is and pulls her headphones from her ears.

And the old woman takes a long, thin knitting needle from her bag, and Sarah remembers what the kid said on the tube...

"Guess what," said Ding

"Thinking about what?" demanded Sala

We can get what you paid for this back, I'm sure..."

Honestly, I don't know what your problem is."

"But Cham," she said, "what if there was a better future - something completely different?"

"Outside what?" Cham looked confused.

"I know what you said before, but..

But then she thought of her Gran, and what she'd said about Cham's situation

Studying at home helped with overcrowding, used less energy, and made teaching easier: well, that's what the government said.

But whenever she thought about lying in a pod for months, her stomach seemed to turn over and over - in spite of what she'd told Cham.

"But who knows what there might he under the water!" laughed Cham."

"You know what," he said

what if I say no?"

"That's what I told Niki." Sala hesitated

"Mom, I've been wondering what you think of this new thing, Pod Life

what we have." Gran nodded wisely.

what would you say if Cham and I wanted to do it?"

If that rose fruit came from outside, who knows what may be possible."

And what if - just what if - she was right?

Up on the roof, they talked about all the things that didn't really matter: what they'd eaten for dinner, the weather, Apat on the jumping machine..

"You really will be OK with what I say?"

"It doesn't matter what your reasons are

I meant what I said." It was good to hear him say it again so clearly.

"So what? It was an hour, not two years."

"Sorry for what?"

He stopped, and Sala realized what he was going to say.

"Tell me what else I should do."

"Like what? Like what, exactly?"

"Like I said, I don't know what else to do." Then he turned to her

"Cham, you have to do what's right for you

"Wait for what? He's about to sign up for Pod Life."

"So, what happens next?"

You've reached the limit of what I can show you

We needed to hear what she said

"So what did we say?" she demanded.

"And what's in there?"

"So, what do you want me to do?"

Sala half-wanted to rush home to tell Gran and Mom what had happened, but she didn't want to lose any of her remaining time with Cham

She took me to an earth apartment and told me what they're doing."

You'll know what's going on."

"So, Gran, what do you think?" she asked breathlessly, when she'd finished her story.

"But what about their suggestion?" asked Sala

But we don't know that what this woman says is true - and nothing can happen right now anyway."

"Remember what we said," she whispered in his ear

I mean, yawn! But it's just a part of what we do

"News of what?"

She didn't know what to say.

It must be strange for him, not knowing where she was or what she was doing

She'd been really excited to discover what the group was doing, but she hadn't considered actually joining them

I'll just see what I can find."

She would find Wena, no matter what Cham had said

She wondered what to do

She didn't know what to think anymore

"Test it for what?" demanded Sala.

"Cham, what are you talking about?"

That's what makes the world safe."

So, what do you think? How about coming to join me?"

"I'll think about it," said Sala, suddenly afraid of what else he might say.

"So what can we do?" Sala cried

Now that she was here, how was she going to say what she needed to?

"In what way?"

"You're doubting what the government is doing." There was a warning in Tian's voice now

So please, be careful what you say."

She didn't care what he thought

And I don't know what to do."

"I know what he's doing is awful, but I still love him, Mom."

"Gran," she said, "you remember what you said last night, about the Oil Wars? You said..

This, Gran had taught her, was what she must think of.

When you know what they're trying to do, you're one step ahead; you've won half the battle already

I knew what she was going to do.

I wonder what you are doing here in Monte Carlo?'

I remembered what Mrs Van Hopper had told me about de Winter's wife.

She asked me what I had been doing.

'And what moment would you like to keep?' de Winter said with a smile.

I wondered what Maxim was saying to Mrs Van Hopper

I did not know what to say

'I know what I'm doing.' Mrs Van Hopper looked at me again with the same unpleasant smile.

I remember nothing of what she said

I did not know what to say

'Well, what do you think?' Maxim said to me

This is what he always did, I thought

This is what he did before he knew me

It is what he has done every evening for years.

As I took an egg and some coffee, I wondered what happened to the food that was left

I suddenly realized what I had said.

'I didn't know what I was saying

She shook hands with me and said to Maxim, 'She's quite different from what I expected

I realized what I had said

I did not know what had happened down in the bay

But you never know what he is thinking

This is what I wanted, I thought

As I said before, you are not what we expected

I was not sure what Beatrice had said and I thought it better not to ask.

She said I was quite different from what she expected.'

He told me what a good agent he was and how he loved Manderley.

I shut my eyes and tried to remember what it was.

And when I meet anyone new, I know what they are thinking: "How different she is from Rebecca." '

'Yes, Frith, what is it?'

I did not know what to do

I wondered what I should do all day

The door was shut, but I could hear what he said.

I did not know what Maxim was thinking

She will know what to do

'If you look pretty, I don't mind what you put on,' he told me.

I did not know what to wear

'So you haven't decided what to wear, Madam,' Mrs Danvers said in a friendly voice.

I did not know what to say

'And what is our hostess going to wear?' she asked

'I don't know what she's doing,' I heard Maxim say

'Go and take off that dress! It doesn't matter what you wear

'Didn't you hear what I said?'

I did not know what I was doing

She had heard what had happened

Don't tell anyone what has happened.'

'Known what?' I said, turning to look at her.

It was exactly what Rebecca wore at the last Fancy Dress Ball here

She had known what would happen.

'Now, what can you wear?' Beatrice said

'You've done what you wanted, Mrs Danvers,' I said

And then what will you do? You'll go to Mr de Winter and tell him that Mrs Danvers has been unkind to you

I did not know what Ben meant

I wondered what Captain Searle wanted to say

This is what I had wanted him to say, every day and every night

I knew what had happened as soon as they came back

'That's what we must remember.'

We are the only two people who know what happened that night, Maxim.'

There is nothing to show what I did

But I can't forget what this has done to you

I wondered what the papers would say if they knew the truth

I wondered what was happening at the inquest

So what I want to know is this

'But what are they trying to find out?'

'In what way can you make things dangerous?'

'I see what you mean,' he said

'I'll tell you what I think,' he said slowly

'He doesn't know what he's saying.'

I suddenly knew what Favell meant

'I don't know what she meant

I knew what she had wanted to tell Favell

We did not know what we should find at the end of the journey.

Peanut-butter toast had been one of Danny's favorite foods, even when he was a toddler and was especially picky about what he would eat

Maybe what she'd heard tonight had been the thunder from the dream.

The tricky spelling of the title was not Tina's idea, but most of the rest of the program was her creation, and she remained pleased with what she had wrought

That's what she had thought a month ago

A little more than a year before he had died, Danny had begun sleeping at the opposite end of the small house from the master bedroom, in what had once been the den

For one thing, she hadn't known what she could say

In spite of what she had heard, she was alone in the house.

But she couldn't imagine what had knocked the easel over

That's what we've got

"You see what he just did?" Helen asked Tina, clapping her hands with delight

You see what a wonderful attorney he is?"

But the fact that two were missing wasn't what drew Vivienne's attention

Vivienne blinked in amazement, unable to understand what she had seen

Vivienne wondered if there had been a nuclear test, maybe that was what had shaken things up

Vivienne reached for the doorknob but stopped before touching it, unable to believe what she was seeing

But her physical beauty was not what most excited him

But she wasn't able to imagine what it could be.

Vivienne had no logical explanation for what had happened, but she knew one thing for sure: She wasn't going to tell anyone what she had seen here tonight

But there's a lot of sense in what Joel says, so I'm going to try to play it cool."

She edged around the pit, determined to make the hateful bastard stop what he was doing, but he took a step away from her for every step that she took toward him, and he always stayed directly across the hole from her

If the mess had been here when Vivienne arrived, the old woman would have cleaned it up and would have left a note about what she'd found

"I don't care what it costs," Tina said.

When Tina squeezed into the narrow gap between the tables and caught Michael's attention, his reaction was far different from what she had expected

"It's stupid is what it is," Michael said, still amused

"The guy sits down to play cards and gets so involved he loses track of time, which is, of course, exactly what the management wants him to do

"There's what we call 'jackpot attack,'" Michael said

"But my favorite is what we call the 'time-warp syndrome.' People come here from a lot of dull places, and Vegas is like an adult Disneyland

They go to bed at dawn, get up in the afternoon, and they lose track of what day it is

Then, as they stepped out of the rear entrance of the hotel and walked along the edge of the parking lot in the seventy-degree winter sunshine, he said, "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Strange? Like what?"

He truly seemed unaware of what had happened at the house

She didn't know what to say.

"You don't need an excuse to ask me what you've come here to ask

"Say what?"

Tina's ambition was, in part, what had led to the dissolution of their marriage

That's what I've always wanted."

Maybe a large family isn't such a wise idea these days, what with the economy in trouble and all the turmoil in the world

I knew what you wanted to say, but I should have let you say it at your own speed

And those bed-hopping weekends broke my heart, Michael, broke my heart - which is what you hoped to do, so that was all right with you

But did you ever stop to realize what effect your absences had on Danny? If you loved family life so much, why didn't you spend all those weekends with your son?"

She could see what he was up to, and she was not going to be distracted from her main intention.

But you were too busy using all those women to hurt me and to prove to yourself what a stud you were

I'm even sorry if some of what I said about Danny hurt you, although, God knows, you deserve to hear it

At first, she wasn't sure what she was crying about

She was crying for all the things that might have been, and for what could never be again.

She stared at what the computer had printed, and fear welled in her - dark, cold, oily fear.

She scanned another forty names and cringed when she saw what else the computer had printed.

And then what?

That's what everyone said

So what the fuck went wrong?"

Bill Jaborski was smart, tough, clever, and filled with respect for the danger in what he did

They plugged it in and tried to get it to repeat what it had done earlier, but they had no luck; the machine behaved exactly as it was meant to behave.

"Then what did you mean when you said I'd probably need professional help to catch this creep?"

She had to take another small sip of cognac before she was able to say what was on her mind, and she realized that he had been right about the liquor having little effect on her

"So you think you're - what, sleepwalking? In your sleep, you're writing a rejection of Danny's death on his chalkboard?"

Do you really think you're so far gone that you could do something like that and not remember it? Do you think you've got multiple personalities and one doesn't know what the others are up to?"

"I'm just trying to think how best to phrase what's on my mind

The possibility of what she was going to suggest was remote.

"You know what I want to do?"

Right? Who knows what might make a person like that reveal himself? If he finds out there's going to be an exhumation, maybe he'll react strongly, give himself away

If we're clever, he won't know what we're doing until the exhumation is a fait accompli

"Probably not even then, what with the four-day weekend."

Really, though, it wasn't like what you see in the movies

If we move fast, it isn't likely Michael will find out what we're up to

"You have a pretty high opinion of me," he said, repeating what she had said to him earlier.

"And what would I eat?"

He enjoyed discussing antiques and paintings with her, and an hour passed in what seemed to be only ten minutes.

She wondered if she would know what to do

But before she realized what was happening, their lips met softly, briefly

"In what sense do you mean that?"

At night, the view of Las Vegas from the mountainside was undeniably spectacular, but Elliot couldn't understand what other reasons anyone could possibly have for choosing to live here rather than in the city's older, greener neighborhoods

"Not until you tell me what this is all about."

"Questions about what?" Elliot insisted.

A chill spread from the base of his spine, up his back, as he realized what the presence of these men implied about the accident that had killed Danny.

You understand what I'm saying - the less a guy knows, the less he can be nailed for later

"If I do submit to the drug, what happens to me after you've got your answers?" Elliot asked.

When we've got what we want, we'll leave

After we find out what we want to know, we'll leave."

If this was what Danny had read before going to bed at night, how had he been able to sleep so well? He'd always been a deep, unmoving sleeper, never troubled by bad dreams.

You know what this fist is going to feel like when it hits, little man?"

Elliot had a pretty good idea of what it would feel like, and he was sweating under his arms and in the small of his back, but he didn't move, and he didn't respond to the stranger's taunting.

She didn't know what to make of the damned thing.

To what?

That's what both the authorities and the mortician had told her

But what about the horror comic?

"The what?"

"I'll tell you what I know, but later."

Several blocks to the north, an ugly column of smoke rose into the twilight sky from what was left of Tina's house, roiling, night-black, the upper reaches tinted around the edges by the last pinkish rays of the setting sun.

At least that was what Elliot wanted to believe.

While Elliot drove, he told Tina what had happened at his house: the two thugs, their interest in the possibility of Danny's grave being reopened, their admission that they worked for some government agency, the hypodermic syringes...

"So what are you saying?" Tina asked

"I won't stop until I know what really happened to Danny."

He was aware of her watching him, and after a while she said, "You know what?"

"Enjoying what?"

That isn't what I said."

"I didn't say anything about what you'd choose if it were up to you

He risked a quick look, shifting his attention from the road, but there wasn't enough light in the car for him to see what she held

That's what I tried to tell myself

When he came home from the newsstand, I never monitored what he'd bought

"But that's the only difference between the basic plot of this story and what we're going through

"Feel what?"

"And you know what it reminds me of? It's the same damn feeling I had in Angela's office when that computer terminal started operating on its own

He knew exactly what she meant, but he didn't want to think about it, because there was no way he could make sense of it

"That doesn't change what I feel."

If she has such proof, what is it?

"So now what do we do?"

That might be just what Vince's bosses are expecting us to do

Ideally, I'd even like to be able to hand the reporter a neat theory about what really happened to those scouts, something sensational that he can hook his story onto."

I can't see what else would have brought an organization like Vince's so deeply into this

"And then what? You mean..

because of what they saw, they were killed?"

People might have discounted most of what the boys said about it, but they'd have believed Jaborski and Lincoln

While she thought about what Elliot had said, she dipped one finger in the water and drew a grim mouth, a nose, and a pair of eyes in the circle; she added two horns, transforming the blot of moisture into a little demonic face

Anyway, I'm not saying that's what really happened

"He could tell us what we want to know."

He's probably been told only what he needs to know."

If the body were exhumed and reexamined by a top-notch pathologist, we'd almost certainly find proof that the cause of death wasn't what the authorities originally said it was."

But more than that, what I'm afraid of..

"I thought that was exactly what you wanted to know."

"The only alternative is to give up, to back off and never know what really happened."

"Anyway, we have to learn what really happened in the Sierras

She wanted to see what would happen next if no one interfered with the presence that had taken control of the jukebox

"I know what it is

Elliot, I know exactly what it is! Come on," she said excitedly

"What are you talking about? Did you see what I saw in there? Did you hear the jukebox? I don't see how that could have cheered you up

"Listen," she said excitedly, "we thought someone was sending me messages about Danny being alive just to rub my face in the fact that he was actually dead - or to let me know, in a roundabout fashion, that the way he died wasn't anything like what I'd been told

They are exactly what they appear to be!"

Confused, he said, "And to your way of thinking, what do they appear to be?"

"I'm only telling you what I know, what I feel," she said

I only know what I felt

But that's what they're doing

That's what's going on

they think someone involved with Project Pandora has turned on them and told me what really happened to Danny

"The only proof of this is what you say you feel..

"And it would be proof enough for you, if you'd had the same experience back there in the diner, if you'd felt what I felt

That's it! That's what he is

"Like what?"

"Like the time he wanted to know exactly what his daddy did for a living

"That's what I thought at first

And even if those were examples of psychic ability, little tricks like that are light-years from what you're attributing to Danny now."

That's what I'm doing."

Do you have a better explanation for what happened in the diner?"

He seemed to find this new statement more outrageous than what she'd said before

"But if he can send dreams to you," Elliot said, "why wouldn't he simply transmit a neat, clear message telling you what's happened to him and where he is? Wouldn't that get him the help he wants a lot faster? Why would he be so unclear and indirect? He should send a concise mental message, psychic E-mail from the Twilight Zone, make it a lot easier for you to understand."

"Then explain what happened in the diner."

"That's exactly what I've been trained to do."

"But what if he isn't?"

"I'll do what I can to see it isn't."

Bruckster held his hand eighteen inches below Michael Evans's eyes, so that the dealer was forced to glance down to see what was being shown to him.

Surely, if someone from Project Pandora had told her what had happened to that busload of scouts, she wouldn't have reacted to the news with equanimity

"But that's what I've been trying to tell you," Kennebeck said, pushing a lock of snow-white hair back from his forehead

"I already know what they're going to find

"You know what I mean

You couldn't have known what would happen after I talked to Kennebeck."

I'll call the night manager at the airport down there, pretend to be FBI, see what he can tell me."

They don't know anything more about Project Pandora than what they picked up from that list of questions they took off Vince Immelman."

So if they can't open the grave and see for themselves what we've done to Danny Evans, what are they going to do instead? They're going to do the next best thing - talk to the person who was supposedly the last one to see the boy's corpse before it was sealed in the coffin

"That's what I've been trying to tell you

We put a freeze on his application with the Bureau of Immigration, and we threatened to have him deported if he didn't do what we wanted

We don't even know where Danny is or what shape he's in

Although he was struggling to cast off the seizure of claustrophobia that had gripped him, was trying to pretend that the organic-looking ceiling wasn't pressing low over his head and that only open sky hung above him instead of thousands of tons of concrete and steel rock, his own panic attack concerned him less than what was happening beyond the viewport.

"Anyway, I don't see what you're so riled up about

If you have to blame someone because you're feeling guilty about what we're doing here, then blame the Chinese, not me."

He nearly cried out in shock and alarm at what he saw inside.

But she sensed that he'd seen something important, and she wouldn't go easily until she knew what it was

As Elliot was opening the driver's door, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and he looked up, already sure of what he would see

Elliot recognized them for what they were

"Then what?"

"But what if they get you?"

I don't even want them to know what direction we went."

"About what?"

"About what you said last night, in Vegas."

As he sat in the dimly lighted cabin of the fan-jet and watched the clouds racing below, Alexander wondered what his father and his uncles would say if they knew that his service to his country had often required him to issue kill orders

He didn't try to pretend otherwise with himself, no matter what face he had to present to the world

But that's what he was telling me in the dream

But that was exactly what he heard

Elliot and Tina found what they needed in one of the gun shops: a set of twelve wilderness maps of the Sierras, designed with backpackers and hunters in mind

Back in the hotel room, they opened one of the maps on the bed, and Elliot said, "Now what?"

If you'd tell me what this is all about, maybe I could help you better."

Sandstone didn't have the faintest idea why they were in Reno or what they were seeking in the mountains.

"I'm still not convinced your dream meant what you think it did

Based on what you said happened in it, I don't see how you reach the conclusion that Danny's going to help us get into the installation

Tina said, "Elliot, it wasn't only what happened in the dream that led me to this conclusion

Tina said, "Elliot, what happens if we stay here, hiding out until we can think of an alternative? How much time do we have? Not much

"But what if they're watching my accounts down there? That would lead them to us fast

"You know what it's like down there this time of year

And you know what a ticky-tacky airport they have at Tahoe

But first you've got to tell me what in hell's going on

That's really what I most wanted to be, but I didn't really have the skill for it

We don't know what we'll walk into in those mountains

If the rescue attempt went smoothly, as Tina's dream seemed to predict, they wouldn't have any need for much of what they bought

"Hold it! I think this is what we're looking for."

"Is that what you want to do?"

Now what? You don't happen to have a key card, do you?"

"That's what the dream was all about."

I don't know what he is anymore

I don't know what's happened to him, and I don't understand what he's become."

She began to wonder exactly what sort of little boy they were going to find at the top of the mountain.

Alexander suddenly realized what their edge was, what kept them going, and he sat up straight in his chair

The fact that they had gotten this far unhurt didn't make Elliot feel any better about what lay ahead of them

"I mean, what's your job?"

"Questions about what?"

To Dombey, she said, "We want to know what you've done to him, where he is."

My country's far from perfect, but what's been done to Danny Evans isn't something that my country would approve of

For a moment Tina couldn't move, afraid to see what they had done to Danny

She couldn't pinpoint what else about his eyes made him so different from any eyes she had ever seen, but as she met Danny's gaze, a shiver passed through her, and she felt a profound and terrible pity for him.

The boy blinked, and with what appeared to be great effort, at the cost of more than a little pain, he withdrew one arm from under the covers and reached out toward her

"Not now," Dombey said, stopping at the door, turning to them, evidently disturbed by what he had to tell them

That's what fascinated Dr

"I can't believe what I just heard."

"Unless what?"

That's what keeps it from getting boring."

Tina was too busy with Danny to think about what Carl Dombey had said, but Elliot knew what the scientist meant

"You're trained what to do from the day you start to work here

God knows, that's exactly what he tried to do

For as long as he could remember, he had been fascinated with death, with the mechanics and the meaning of it, and he had longed to know what it was like on the other side - without, of course, wishing to commit himself to a one-way journey there

One day maybe he would be standing in a graveyard, before the tombstone of one of his victims, and the person he had killed would reach out to him from beyond and let him see, in some vivid clairvoyant fashion, exactly what death was like

"Then what is it?" Elliot asked.

Take him to a dozen specialists until someone can tell you what's wrong with him

As long as you're the only ones outside of here who know what happened, you're marked people."

"We'll do what you want

"About what?"

She couldn't think what to say.

She agreed that it might not be wise to let anyone know what powers Danny had acquired

No, she wouldn't tell anyone what Danny could do

Not until she and Elliot figured out what effect that revelation would have on the boy's life.

Tina realized what the boy was going to do, and she said, "Danny, wait!"

She wondered what lay ahead for them.

Therefore, I will devote what space I am given here to this novel itself and to the savage, brutal, cruel, maddening, insane, inane, nonsensical, stupid, bewildering, toxic, bloodcurdling, lip-chafing, toenail-curling experience of working with a major television network to adapt this novel, and three others, as part of a program that would have been called The Dean Koontz Theater or Dean Koontz Presents or possibly Here's Dean! or even Koontzapalooza

Although The Eyes of Darkness does not have the intensity, the humor, the depth of characterization, the complexity of theme, or the pace of later novels, readers have responded positively to it over the years, most likely because the device of a lost child - and the dedicated mother who will do anything to find out what happened to her little boy - strikes a primal chord in all of us.

All I know is that during the fourteen or sixteen - or seven thousand - months that we worked together, through countless story meetings in the development executive's office, I was never sure that any of my writing confreres had read the complete novel that he or she was adapting - or understood what had been read

By this time, we had passed the one-year mark in the development process, and I knew we were not going to wind up with a usable script, so I didn't insist on discussing whether the rubber tires would melt off the vehicle within two hundred yards or three, or ponder at what point the gasoline tank might explode

I don't know what to do.'

'I didn't understand what he meant, and nothing happened for a few weeks, so I did not feel so worried

'So what did you do next?' asked Holmes.

'I don't know what to do

I only get back to a more normal state when I recognize the voice at the other end and when I know what is wanted of me.

However, I had become expert at overcoming this fear and had trained myself to speak calmly, no matter what said to me

He at least seemed to understand what I said, and told me he would pick me up and take me to my brother's house.

But she would never say why or under what circumstances she had killed Andre

What could be the reason for such a terrible crime? What had led up to it? Just exactly what had happened?

but to what? The commissaire would have known what to do with such an advantage; I did not

But I intend to know everything, Helene, and either you tell me and I'll see what is to be done, or...'

'Or what? Say it!'

What else could it do but go to others it loves, to Henri, to you - you who might know and understand what needed to be done!'

'Protect my boy from what? Don't you understand? I'm here so that Henri won't be the son of a woman who went to the guillotine for having murdered his father! Don't you understand that I would much prefer the guillotine to the living death of this asylum?'

'I'll give you what your commissaire would call my "confession".'

'Do you remember what was written under that ashtray?'

Please do exactly what I ask

'I don't know what has happened, my love, but I promise to be brave.'

I did not know what to do or say

'Andre, my love, tell me what happened

But then I kissed him and made him understand what I wanted

'I want to know exactly what happened,' I said as he closed the door after me

I must destroy myself in such a way that nobody can possibly know what has happened to me

After what seemed a very long wait, but was probably only a minute or two, I saw a bright light through my fingers.

Knock on the door when you are ready and I will explain what you have to do.

In my hand was a page of explanations: what I had to know about the steam hammer

'Do you know what was in it?'

'I wonder what we will talk about at tea,' said Griselda

'Do what?' I asked.

'How like Colonel Protheroe, and what nonsense,' said Mrs Price Ridley.

But I do wish you would be more careful in what you say.'

When we reached her gate, she said, 'Please, come in and tell me what you think of my new home.'

It was arranged very simply, but perfectly, and I wondered what had made Mrs Lestrange come to St Mary Mead

I just don't know what to do

'I've thought about what you said at lunch,' she told me, 'and I've found some good things to eat.'

I couldn't understand what was in front of me.

'In your opinion, Dr Haydock, what was the cause of death?'

So I gave him what he asked for.

'Hello - what's this?' He held up a piece of notepaper.

We thought that Inspector Slack would come and ask me what it was I had wanted to tell him, so we were surprised when Mary told us that he had gone

'But if there was an argument,' I argued, 'the shot may have been fired in sudden anger, and Lawrence might have been very upset afterwards about what he had done.'

'Oh, what a bore!'

'Did he describe what happened?' I asked

Won't say what the argument was about

At first Redding didn't seem to know what he was talking about, and then said he didn't use one

'Well, I shall never forget his face when I met him outside my gate, or the way he said, "Oh, you'll see Protheroe all right!" That should have made me suspect what had just happened.' Haydock stared at me

'What do you mean - what had just happened? When do you think Redding shot him?'

I don't know what to do

'Colonel Melchett,' Miss Marple said, 'why don't you tell Mr Redding what Mrs Protheroe has done and explain that you don't believe her

But do tell me, Mr Clement, what do the police think about the murder?'

If I had, I would have gone in to see what had happened.'

'Oh, doctors, what do they know!' Slack replied.

It's what people call intuition

'And what does the murder of Colonel Protheroe remind you of?'

What I find strange is what it said.'

'Is it true, what Dr Haydock told me?'

So what about your story, Mrs Protheroe?'

'Do you mind, Mrs Protheroe, just showing us exactly what you did?' Inspector Slack pushed open the glass doors, and she stepped outside and walked round the house to the left

'Is that exactly what you did?' Colonel Melchett asked her.

'Ah! I am glad you are taking action after what happened

'But can you tell me exactly what was said?'

'We'll see what we can find out for you.'

And the next thing is to find out what everyone was doing that evening between six and seven

'Well, as a doctor, if you somehow discovered the truth - I wondered what you would do, that's all.'

I remembered what Dr Haydock had said about his illness and supposed that explained it

I am in a very strange position, Mr Clement, and I want to ask your advice about what I should do next

'Can you tell me what you talked about?'

'I know what I must do.'

For Anne's sake.' He paused, then said, 'What are you doing in the woods, Vicar?' I didn't know what to say.

'Ah, what did Mr Redding do most afternoons? He went up to Old Hall and painted Miss Protheroe's picture

'Well, what about the lady who called on Colonel Protheroe the night before the murder?'

And what do you think I saw?'

This was just what he wanted to hear

'So what did she say?'

'I wonder what Mrs Lestrange wanted to see Colonel Protheroe about

"After all these years" - that's what he said - "you dare to come here -" Then he said, "I refuse

'Will you tell me what has upset you?'

'She's staying,' I said, and told them what had upset Mary.

It's partly what makes her so attractive to everybody.'

'I wonder what has happened?'

'That's what I mean

But what does he want to come and see me for? I don't like it! I never suggested that he was guilty

I wondered what it was that the three ladies wanted to tell me

I held it out to him and asked him what it was.

'And that's what's all wrong

I read it once - twice - but I still could not believe what it said.

Well, what number is it then?..

'Of course! That's what he wants you to think! That you know the truth - and that it's best for everyone as it is

'That's what he wants you to think

'I did not think it was right to speak until now, because I still needed one more fact in order to explain what had happened

'That's what she told you,' said Miss Marple

'So that no one could discover what had happened?'

'But what about Hawes?' Melchett said

'But what about the other telephone call?' Colonel Melchett asked

'You may think differently,' said Melchett, 'when you have heard what we now know.' And he quickly told him about Miss Marple's explanation of the crime

'I knew she had done it, so what did it matter if that proved she had killed him?'

For a minute he hardly realized what this meant, and although the heat was great, he climbed down into the pit to see the cylinder more closely

Even then he hardly understood what was happening, until he heard another sound and saw the black mark jump forwards a little

'We don't know what's in the Thing, you know.'

I tried but could not tell them what I had seen

I found the pub's owner in his bar, with no idea of what was going on

I began to ask myself what they could be

'Do you know what's over there?' I said, pointing towards the woods that hid the Martians.

A man, knee-deep in the water, shouted to me and pointed, although I could not hear what he said

'Why are these things allowed? What have we done - what has Weybridge done? The morning service was over

He could not discover what kind of accident it was

Some did, but they needed time to realize what all the reports in the Sunday papers actually meant

No one in London knew what the Martians looked like, and there was still a fixed idea that they must be slow: 'crawling', 'moving painfully' - words like these were in all the earlier reports

Unable to learn what was happening from his window, my brother went down and out into the street, just as the sky turned pink with the dawn

'Black Smoke!' As he stood at the door, not knowing what to do, he saw another newspaper-seller approaching him

You have to imagine what happened to the gunners towards Esher, waiting so tensely in the evening light, because none of them lived to tell the story

They did not know what it was

But I do not know who these people were or what happened to them

For some time I could not remember what had happened.

Then I raised my head cautiously to see what had happened

Through this I was able to see into what had been, only the previous night, a quiet road

In the back of the head, or body - I do not really know what to call it - there was a flat surface like the skin of a drum, which we now know worked as an ear

He wanted to see what was happening

This was what had caused the regular heating noise

'And what will they do with us?' I said.

'That's what I've been thinking.' he said

'But if that's true,' I said, 'what is there to live for?'

That's what has to be done.'

Yes - wait a bit, and I'll make it clearer what I think ought to be done

There, it seemed to me, I had the best chance of learning what the Martians and human beings were doing for death

Very gently, when my mind was working again, they told me all they knew about what had happened in Leatherhead

We can never know what unseen good or evil might come to us suddenly out of space

Perhaps, across the great distances of space, the Martians have watched what happened to the ones that landed on Earth and learned their lesson - and have found a safer home on the planet Venus

It may have nothing to do with what happened afterwards, but I thought that I should mention it.

This is what I think happened: this woman was married in America

'My God!' he cried, 'what does this mean?'

'Well, what's wrong with you?' he asked.

I said, 'If I tell you what is wrong with me, you will die before I finish

Life is too short! I'll tell you what is not wrong with me..

I told him about what I had read at the library.

Harris said, 'Now, we must decide what to take with us

He tells everyone what to do, and he does nothing.

This was not what I had intended

George didn't know what to say

No one knew what happened to Aunt Mary.

I didn't understand what was happening

We didn't know what scrambled eggs were

We sailed straight into the fishing boat with the three old fishermen! At first, we didn't know what was happening

Oh God, I don't know what to do.'

'Why, what is wrong?' asked Connie.

'You tell me what is right

'But what? It's my fault - is that what you're saying? I didn't do well enough in the exams, so I can't be a teacher

'Mercy, what is the matter?' said Connie

'Sissie, I don't like what you are doing

But what a pity that you are married already

And I believed her because I know what they pay her is just not enough to live on

Oh, I wish I knew what to do

Something jumped in Connie's chest and she wondered what it was

What use is a sister, if you can't have a talk with her? And what would their parents say if they were alive? They were good church-goers

'My dear, what is the matter?'

'Okay, so what shall we do? Shall I drive to the Seaway?'

But what is it, my darling?'

'Connie, what's the matter? You've been crying again.'

'Yes, but that is not what I am talking about.'

'But James, what shall I do?'

'About what?'

If I were Mercy, I am sure that's exactly what I would do

Still they watch her, horrified, and wondering what it's all about

'Of course,' say James and Connie, and for some reason they are both afraid of what is coming.

Each narrator will describe what he saw with his own eyes, so that the narrative will be as truthful as possible, and the evidence will be presented as in a court of law.

'I hid behind that tree to see what kind of man you were

She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and yet there seemed to be something missing - I did not know what.

This morning he spoke to me, and this afternoon I told Laura what he had said: 'He was very generous

'After what you've just said, I want to marry you more than ever,' said Sir Percival

I went to Laura's room and told her what I had heard

I can't be a witness unless Laura understands what she's signing.'

'I'll happily sign when I know what's in it,' said Laura

'After what Percival said to me this morning, I don't feel any obligation to him

Laura told me what had happened through the door

'All right! Do what you want!' said Sir Percival, and he left the room.

Be happy, dear lady, with what you have.

'But we don't know it.' 'Anne's mother, Mrs Catherick, knows it,' I said, 'and I'll find out what it is

'Say what you've come to say and then leave,' she said in a cold, aggressive voice.

'That's just what the old parish clerk said,' the man replied

I did not tell them what I knew

To show you how thankful I am, I will tell you what you want to know: that gentleman's secret and mine

He then told me what he had done to the register and he explained what the law does to people who commit that crime

Anne turned to him and said, 'You're a miserable impostor.' She had no idea what it meant - she was just repeating my words - but Sir P was terrified

Mr Kyrle told us that if she could not remember what had happened to her, we had no hope of proving her identity.

I was still thinking about what Pesca had told me when I walked back from his apartment that night

'Now I'll tell you what I want

He did not listen to what she said

It does not matter what gender or race you are, or how rich you are - you have the same rights

In Britain, politicians, the newspapers and the people were very surprised by what the suffragettes did

Some people did not like what the suffragettes were doing

Nancy was very strong, and she always said what she thought

Nobody knows what happened to them.

She asked her father what sport she could play

This is what young men do