But most of all, perhaps, ka was like a ring.

Like a wedding ring.

He suddenly understood what all the talk on the hospital roof and all of Dorrance’s efforts to explain hadn’t been able to convey: Ed’s undesignated status, coupled with Atropos’s discovery of the poor, confused man, had conveyed a tremendous power upon him. A door had opened, and a demon called the Crimson King had strolled through, one that was stronger than Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos, any of them. And it didn’t intend to be stopped by a Derry Old Crock like Ralph Roberts.

E “Ralph?” I

[“One Ring to rule them all, Lois-one Ring to find them.

[“What are ’you talking about? What do you mean?”] He patted his watchpocket, feeling the small yet momentous bulge that was Ed’s ring.

Then he reached out and grasped her shoulders.

[“The replacements-the false rings-are spokes, but this one is the hub. Take away the hub, and a wheel can’t turn.

[“Are you sure?”] He was sure, all right. He just didn’t know how to do it.

[“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.]

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?] Ralph slowly and deliberately raised his left hand. He made a sawing gesture in the air with it, and was gratified to see Atropos wince when the edge of the palm turned momentarily toward him.

[“If you even nick her with that blade, I’ll hit you so hard you’ll need a pocket-knife to dig your teeth out of the wall. And that’s a promise.” [just give me the ring, Shorts.] They can’t lie, Ralph thought suddenly. I can’t remember if I was actually told that or just intuited it, but I’m sure it’s true-they can’t lie. I can, though.

[“I’ll tell you what, Mr. A. -promise me it’s a push and I’ll give it to you.”] Atropos gave him a narrow look in which doubt and suspicion were mingled.

[A push? What do you mean, a push?] [“Ralph, no."’] He glanced at her, then back at Atropos. He raised his left hand to scratch his cheek without considering how the gesture would look to the little bald doctor. The scalpel was pressed against Lois’s balloon-string again in a trice, this time hard enough to dent it and create a dark splotch at the point of contact. It looked like a bloodblister. Great beads of sweat stood out on Atropos’s brow, and when he spoke, his voice was a panicky shriek.

[Don’t you go throwing any of your cut-rate thunderbolts at me!

The woman dies if you do.”] Ralph lowered his hand in a hurry, then put both of them behind his back like a penitent child. Ed’s wedding ring was still folded into his hand, and now, almost without thinking about it, he tucked it into the back pocket of his pants. It was only then that he was completely sure he didn’t mean to give up the ring.

Even if it cost Lois her life-both of them their lives-he didn’t mean to give them the ring.

But perhaps it wouldn’t come to that.

“A push means we both walk away, Mr. A.-I give you the ring, you give me back my lady-friend. All you have to do is promise not to hurt her. What do you say?”] [“No, Ralph, no."’] What Atropos said was nothing. His eyes glittered at Ralph with leary, hateful impotence.

If ever in his long life he’d wished for the ability to lie, Ralph supposed he must be wishing for it at that moment. All it would take was Okay, it’s a deal, and the ball would be right back in Ralph’s court. But he couldn’t say that, because he couldn’t do that.

He knows he’s in a nasty corner, Ralph thought. It really doesn’t matter if he cuts her cord or lets her go-he must think I mean to flash-fry him in either case, and he’s not wrong.