with us. We couldn't interfere with him even if we wanted to,-the Random and the Purpose are like the red and blac squares on a checkerboard, defining each other by contrast. But Atropos does want to interfere with the way things operate-interferring is, in a very real sense, what he was made to do-and on rare occasions the opportunity to do so in a really big way Presents itself Efforts to stop his meddling are rare."
Clotho: [The truth is actually a little stronger, Ralph and Lois,never in our experience has an effort been made to check or bar him." Lachesis: [-and are made only if the situation into which he intends to meddle is a very delicate one, where many serious matters there is balanced and counterbalanced. This is one of those situations.
Atropos has severed a life-cord he would have done well to leave alone.
This will cause terrible problems on all levels, of to mention a serious imbalance between the Random and the Purpose, unless the situation is rectified. We cannot deal with what's happening; the situation has passed far beyond our skills. We can no longer see clearly, let alone act. Yet in this case our inability to see hardly matters, because in the end, only Short-Timers can oppose the will of Atropos. That is why you two are here.] Ralph: ["Are you sayting that Atropos cut the cord of someone who was supposed to die a natural death... or a Purposeful death?"] Clotho: [Not exactly. Some lives-a very few-bear no clear designation. When Atropos touches such lives, trouble is always likely.
"All bets are off," you say. Such undest'gnated lives are like-" Clotho drew his hands apart and an image-playing cards againflashed between them. A row of seven cards that were swiftly turned over, one after another, by an unseen hand. An ace; a deuce; a joker; a trey; a seven; a queen. The last card the invisible hand flipped over was blank.
Clotho: [Does this picture help?] Ralph's brow furrowed. He didn't know if it did or not. Somewhere out there was a person who was neither a regular playing card nor a joker in the deck. A person who was perfectly blank, up for grabs by either side, Atropos had slashed this guy's metaphysical airhose, and now somebody-or something-had called a time-out.
Lois: ["It's Ed you're talking about, isn't it?" Ralph wheeled around and stared at her sharply, but she was looking at Lachesis.
["Ed Deepneau is the blank card."] Lachesis was nodding.
["How did you know that, Lois?"] ["Who else could it be?"] She wasn't smiling at him, precisely, but Ralph felt the sense of a smile.
He turned back to Clotho and Lachesis.
["Okay, at last we're getting somewhere. So who flashed the red light on this deal? I don't think it was you guys-I have an idea that on this one, at least, you two aren't much more than the hired help.
They put their heads together for a moment and murmured, but Ralph saw a faint ocher tinge appear like a seam at the place where their green-gold auras overlapped and knew he was right. At last the two of them faced Ralph and Lois again.
Lachesis: [Yes, that is basically the case. You have a way of putting things in perspective, Ralph. We haven't had a conversation like this in a thousand years-] Clotho: [If ever.] Ralph: ["All you have to do is tell the truth boys."] Lachesis, as plaintively as a child: [We have been!] Ralph: ["The whole truth." Lachesis: [All right,-the whole truth. Yes, it is Ed Deepneau's cord Atropos cut.
We don't know this because we have seen it-we've passed beyond our ability to see clearly as I said-but because it is the only logical conclusion. Deepneau is undesignated, neither of the Random nor of the
Purpose, that we do know, and his must have been some sort Of master-cord to have caused all this uproar and concern.
The very fact that he has lived so long after his life-cord was severed indicates his power and importance. When Atropos severed this cord, he set a terrible chain of events in motion.] Lois shivered and stepped closer to Ralph.
Lachesis: [You called us hired help. You were more right than you knew. We are, in this case, simply messengers. Our job is to make you and Lois aware of what has happened and what is expected of you, and that job is now almost done. As to zvbo "flashed the red light, "we can't answer that question because we don't really know.]