Portland - Stephen King yesterday offered the first instalment of his gruesome tale The Plant directly to readers by posting it on his website.
King, who is committed to publishing at least the first two instalments, warned readers that at least 75 per cent of those who download the episodes must pay $1 if the full story is to make its way to the web. "If you pay, the story rolls. If you don't, the story folds," King says on his site (http://www.stephenking.com).