["Yes. Now come on-let's get out of here while we still can."] Ralph sent her beneath the overloaded dining-room table first, then dropped to his knees and followed. He paused halfway under and looked back over his shoulder. He saw a strange and terrible thing: although the buzzing sound had not returned, the deathbag was re-knitting itself around the replacement wedding ring. Already the bright gold had dimmed to a ghostly circlet.
He stared at it for several seconds, fascinated, almost hypnotized, then tore his eyes away with an effort and began to crawl after LOIS.
Ralph was afraid they would lose valuable time trying to navigate their way back through the maze of corridors which crisscrossed Atropos's storehouse of keepsakes, but that turned out not to be a problem. Their own footprints, fading but still visible, were there to guide them.
He began to feel a little stronger as they put the terrible little room behind them, but Lois was now flagging badly. By the time they reached the archway between the storehouse and Atropos's filthy apartment, she was leaning on him. He asked if she was all right.
Lois managed a shrug and a small, tired smile.
["Most of my problem is being in this place. It doesn't really matter how high up we go, it's still foul and I hate it. Once I get some fresh air, I think I'll be fine. Honestly."],n Ralph hoped she was right. As he ducked under the arch ' to Atropos's apartment, he was trying to think of a pretext by which he could send Lois on ahead of him. That would give him an opportunity to give the place a quick search. If that didn't turn up the ing earrings, he would have to assume that Atropos was still wearing them.
He noticed her slip was hanging below the hem of her dress again, opened his mouth to tell her, and saw a flicker of movement from the tail of his left eye. He realized they had been a lot less cautious on the return trip-partly because they were worn out-and now they might have to pay a high price for dropping their guard.
["Lois, look out!"] Too late. Ralph felt her arm jerked away as the snarling creature in the dirty tunic seized her about the waist and dragged her backward.
Atropos's head only came to her armpit, but that was enough to allow him to hold his rusty blade over her. When Ralph made an instinctive lunge at him, Atropos brought the straight-razor down until it was touching the pearl-gray cord which drifted up from the crown of her head. He bared his teeth at Ralph in an unspeakable grin.
[Not another step, Shorts... not one!] Well, he didn't have to worry about Lois's errant earrings anymore, at least. They glittered a murky, pinkish-red against the tiny lobes of Atropos's ears. It was more the sight of them than the shout that stopped Ralph where he was.
The scalpel drew back a little... but only a little.
[Now, Shorts-you took something of mine just now, didn't you?
Don't try to deny it,-I know. And now you're going to give it back.] The scalpel returned to Lois's balloon-string; Atropos caressed it with the flat of the blade.
[You give it back or this bitch is going to die here in front of you-you can stand there and watch the sack turn black. So what do you say, Short Stuff? Hand it over.]
Part III THE CRIMSON KING CHAPTER 26
Atropos's smile shone out, full of repulsive triumph, and full ofFull of fear. He caught You flat-footed, he's got his scalpel to Lois's balloon-string and his ban around her throat, but He's still scared to death. Why?
[Come on! Quit wasting time, shithead. Give me the ring!] Ralph reached slowly into his watchpocket and grasped the ring, wondering why Atropos hadn't killed Lois outright. Surely he didn't intend to let her-to let either of them-go.
He's afraid I might hammer him with another one of those telepathic karate-chops. And that's just for starters. I think He's also afraid of screwing up. Afraid of the thing-the entity-that's running him.
Afraid of the Crimson King. You're scare of the boss, aren't you, "/-l filthy little friend?
He held the ring up between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand and peeked through it again.
["Come and get it, why don't you? Don't be shy."
Atropos's face knotted with rage. The expression twisted his nervy, gloating grin into a cartoon scowl.
[I'll kill her, Shorts, didn't you hear me? Is that what you want?]