They joined the bald docs in the hallway outside Bob Polhurst's room.
Through the open door, they could see the deathwatch continuing around the old teacher's bed.
Lois: ["The man closest to the bed is Bill McGover, a friciil o. ours. There's something wrong withe him. Something awful. If we do what you want, could you-?"] But Lachesis and Clotho were shaking their heads in unison.
Clotho: [Nothing can be changed.] Yes, Ralph thought. Dorrance knew: done-bun-can'the-undone.
Lois: ["When will it happen?"] Clotho: [your friend belongs to the other, to the third. To the one Ralph has already named Atropos. But Atropos could tell you the exact hour of the man's death no more than we could. He cannot even tell whom he will take next. Atropos is an agent of the Random.] This phrase sent a chill through Ralph's heart.
Lachesis: [But this is no place for us to talk. Come.] Lachesis took one of Clotho's hands, then held out his free hand to Ralph. At the same time, Clotho reached toward Lois. She hesitated, then looked at Ralph.
Ralph, in his turn, looked grimly at Lachesis.
["You better not hurt her."] [Neither of you will be hurt, Ralph.
Take my hand.] I'm a stranger in paradise, Ralph's mind finished.
Then he sighed through his teeth, nodded to Lois, and gripped Lachesis's outstretched hand. That shock of recognition, as deep and pleasant as an unexpected encounter with an old and valued friend, washed over him again, Apples and bark; memories of orchards he had walked through as a kid. He was somehow aware, without actually seeing it, that his aura had changed color and become-at least for a little while-the gold-flecked green of Clotho and Lachesis.
Lois took Clotho's hand, inhaled a sharp little gasp over her teeth, then smiled hesitantly.
Clotho: [Complete the circle, Ralph and Lois. Don't be afraid.
All is well. Boy, do I ever disagree with that, Ralph thought, but when Lois reached for his hand, he grasped her fingers. The taste of apples and the texture of dry bark was joined by some dark and unknown spice. Ralph inhaled its aroma deeply and then smiled at Lois.
She smiled back-no hesitation in that smile-and Ralph felt a dim, far off confusion. How could you be afraid? How could you even hesitate when what they brought felt this good and seemed this right-, I empathize, Ralph, but hesitate am,way, a voice counselled.
["Ralph? Ralph."'] She sounded alarmed and giddy at the same time. Ralph looked around just in time to see the top of the door of Room 315 descending past her shoulders... except it wasn't the door going down; it was Lois going up. All of them going up, still holding hands in a circle.
Ralph had just gotten this through his head when momentary darkness, sharp as a knife-edge, crossed his vision like a shadow thrown by the slat of a venetian blind. He had a brief glimpse of narrow pipes that were probably part of the hospital's sprinkler system, surrounded by tufted pink pads of insulation. Then he was looking down a long tiled corridor. A gurney cart was rolling straight at his head... which, he suddenly realized, had surfaced like a periscope in one of the fourth-floor corridors.
He heard Lois cry out and felt her grip on his hand tighten.
Ralph closed his eyes instinctively and waited for the approaching gurney to flatten his skull.
Clotho: [Be calm! Please, be calm." Remember that these things exist on a different level of reality from the one where you are now."
Ralph opened his eyes. The gurney was gone, although he could hear its receding wheels. The sound was coming from behind him now.
The gurney, like McGovern's friend, had passed right through him.
The four of them were now levitating slowly into the corridor of what had to be the pediatrics wing-fairy-tale creatures pranced and gambolled up and down the walls, and characters from Disney's Aladdin and The Little mermaid were decaled onto the windows of a large, brightly lighted play area. A doctor and a nurse strolled to ward them, discussing a case. I "-further tests seem but only if we can make at least ninety percent sure that-" The doctor walked through Ralph and as he did Ralph understood that he had started smoking again on the sly after five years off the weed and was feeling guilty as hell about it. Then they were gone.
Ralph looked down just in time to see his feet emerge from the tiled floor. He turned to Lois, smiling tentatively.