Sue looked at her hand. The light had stayed constant and was a source of great comfort. She whispered another prayer for guidance and felt a presence in the room with her. She turned and saw Hector with his back to her. She moved to where she could see his face in profile. A door opened and the two women impostors entered. They sang their song once more and the sailor struggled to follow. She could see the desperation on his face, the love he had for the two of them. But as their song began to go further and further out of key, he faltered. She heard the sharp cracks of a snare drum and out of the corner of her eye the pictures of Mara and Althea shattered and fell to the floor. Sue closed her eyes to the tears.
Once more, she was in the gray room and surrounded by faceless figures. The lights were too bright and fast to comprehend. Sue could hear a steady pounding that was getting louder and faster. Pushing through the crowd, she found the source of the rhythm. The sailor was in the chair once again and they were playing him like a drum. They advanced on him with objects in their hands and she heard a shrieking crescendo.
