“Funny,” Roger said. “Since mother’s … well, anyhow I’ve been remembering things I’d forgotten for years; how mother encouraged my painting even when I was a kid, for example. And I just remembered an incident I haven’t thought of for a long time. It’s so clear now that I wonder how I ever forgot it.”

He paused, squinted at his painting, and went on. He was in his pajamas still, and Lydia smiled: the pajamas were a riot. Roger always did have lousy taste as far as clothes were concerned.

“There was a birthday party, for Anna, I think,” he said, “and Mother had me do pastel sketches of the kids. They thought I was great. Maybe that buried memory was responsible for my taking up painting again, who knows? I feel as though I’ve found something I lost. I can even remember what Anna wore: a yellow starched pinafore.” Roger stopped and turned as his wife entered the room. At once she burst out laughing. “What is it?” he said.

“I don’t know. You just looked so funny for a minute, standing there in those crazy pajamas—”

The scene vanished.

“What is it, Lydia?” Ma-ah cried. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Why, I don’t know. I just saw my son as clear as life,” Lydia said. “But….” Her eyes widened incredulously. “He was fifty, and I don’t look nearly that old. Look at me, I’m not nearly that age. And there was something else; I’m not certain; he started to say something about Mother’s—something, and he didn’t finish. But it gave me goose pimples.”

“Why don’t you tell her?” Ma-ah said to Seven.

“Someone else wants to, but I will if he doesn’t get here,” Seven said.

“I’m here,” Lawrence said, suddenly appearing. He carried Mr. George in the goldfish bowl, and a picnic basket. “Come on,” he said to Lydia. “I promised you a picnic and we’re going to have it. It’s almost daylight and we’ll watch the sun come up.”

“It’s about time you got here,” Seven said, with a mixture of irritation and relief. “What kept you, anyhow?”

“I’ll explain when I see you again,” Lawrence said jauntily. He took Lydia’s hand. “We’re going to have a long talk. Here. I brought you a pack of cigarettes in case you were out.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad to see you,” Lydia said. “I thought you’d never come back—” She paused. Then she gave Ma-ah the peace sign, and she and Lawrence vanished.

Proteus and Josef stood side by side, staring.