Death Trance by Graham Masterton Page B

yourself many questions, beginning with why. Why did I leave my family in Canada and not bring them back home with me? Why is fate so cruel? Why did it have to be them? Perhaps the greatest difficulty you will have to face is that none of these questions have answers.’
    Randolph said, 'They were so beautiful, all of them.’
    'Yes,’ said Dr Ambara.
    There was a pause and then Randolph said, 'I'm trying to think of the very last second I saw them. They came out to the jetty to see me onto the plane. I hugged the boys, Mark first, then John. Then I kissed Issa. Last of all, I kissed Marmie. Do you know… I can almost feel them in my arms.’
    'That feeling will never leave you,’ Dr Ambara assured him.
    'What do I do now?’ asked Randolph. 'I'm alone.’
    'Well, you must stay here for a day or two under observation. You lost consciousness when they gave you the news that your family was dead and you hit your head when you fell. We have to make sure there is no damage to your brain.’
    'Is that likely?’
    Dr Ambara shook his head. 'No, it isn't. But I think you should also take the opportunity to rely on somebody else for a little while; on me, and on the nursing staff. Your own doctor - Dr Linklater - will be coming to see you later and if you wish, you can see your priest. Usually, however, I find that people who have been suddenly bereaved prefer to ask questions about the religious implications later, when the sense of shock has subsided.’
    'What do you believe?’ Randolph asked.
    Dr Ambara looked surprised. 'What do I believe? Well, I am Indonesian and my religion is Hindu, so what I believe may be rather mystifying to you.’
    'Tell me,’ Randolph persisted hoarsely. Dr Ambara sensed that Randolph was clinging to any thread that would begin to weave itself into some kind of explanation that he could accept even tentatively. He thoughtfully rubbed his chin for a moment and then said, 'I believe that death is not a separation but simply a journey of the soul to the next resting place, which is heaven. In heaven there is peace, and freedom from worry and pain.’ 'Do you really believe that? Do you really believe that my family is still there somewhere, that their souls are still there?’
    Dr Ambara smiled. 'It depends on what you mean by "there," Mr Clare. Heaven exists both inside and outside the human mind. But, yes, I believe that your family still exists, and as a Hindu, I also believe that one day they will each be reborn, reincarnated, as we all will, probably as the grandsons and granddaughters of distant relatives.’ Randolph said, Thank you.’
    'Why do you thank me? As far as I am concerned, this is what actually occurs.’ 'I wish I had your faith.’
    'Well, what we believe is for each of us to decide,’ said Dr Ambara. 'But all faith is based on fact, and there are many stories in Indonesia that substantiate our belief.’ 'What do you mean?’
    'I mean simply that people who have lost their sons and daughters have sometimes spoken to their grandchildren and discovered that these grandchildren have possessed a knowledge of people and events that only their dead children could possibly have known. It is so common, this faculty, that it is not even remarked upon in the town I come from. I am sure that American children have the same faculty but their parents are not aware of it, and would not believe it even if they were. And so the children rapidly forget the memories they brought out of the womb with them from their previous lives.’
    Dr Ambara was silent for a moment and then added, 'There are those who claim to have met and spoken to the dead - mystics usually - but the high priests do not ordinarily approve of such things.’
    He picked up the progress chart hanging at the foot of Randolph's bed, unscrewed the cap of his fountain pen and jotted a few notes. Then he said, 'Whatever you need, do not hesitate to ask for it. I know you are an active man; I know that you are the president of a very