The provided text contains extensive excerpts from the novel "Tick Tock" by Dean Koontz, primarily focusing on the protagonist Tommy Phan, a Vietnamese-American novelist, as he navigates a terrifying night after encountering a menacing rag doll that transforms into a demon-like creature. The narrative follows Tommy's frantic flight, his surreal encounters with the enigmatic Del Payne—a waitress, heiress, and artist with a mysterious background—and his strained relationship with his traditional Vietnamese family, who disapprove of his Americanized lifestyle and career choices. Also included is a brief excerpt from Koontz's novel "Sole Survivor," featuring a character named Joe at a cemetery, and a Note to the Reader from Koontz explaining the book's origins as a lighter project intended to balance the darkness of his other work, acknowledging the importance of changing the lead character to a Vietnamese-American to make the story successful.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.