aspect that can be difficult."
Difficult indeed. The idea of being with another man- another woman's man-appalled her. Yet she could see that it did have to be a consequence of joining with other women, when there were not enough bodies to go around.
"Suppose-I decline?" "My dear, we do not force anyone to join us! It may be different with a couple of the male Incarnations- though of course there is no law about that, only custom- but we women are more accommodating. If you elect to remain mortal, you will return to your prior life, and we will select another woman for the exchange. But I confess that we do like you, and not merely for your beauty; seldom does a mortal person have the courage to approach Thanatos as you did."
"I have no courage!" Niobe protested. "I had to do it!"
"Oh? Why?"
"To save my husband, the man I love!"
"And for love you went literally into the fire. If that is not courage, it remains a quality we deeply respect."
"And it was all for nothing!"
"Yes, it is an irony. We could not give you what you desired, then, and we offer you some of what you do not desire now. Yet there are compensations."
Niobe knew she would burst into tears again if they remained longer on the subject of what she had desired; she had to focus on new things. "Compensations?"
"Immortality-as long as you choose. Power-as much as you can manage. Purpose-for you will spin the ultimate threads of man's existence. We are Fate."
Niobe thought about returning to her former life-without Cedric. Then she thought of immortality, power, and purpose-and the opportunity to seek to settle her score with Satan. She would rather have had Cedric, but she really had no choice-as Chronos had known. She was destined to accept this role. "How do I join?"
"Take my hand," Lachesis said, extending it. Niobe took her hand. There was an odd sensation of flux. She felt simultaneous loss and gain. Then she saw that Lachesis had changed to the form of the young, pretty woman who had appeared momentarily in her Purgatory Abode.
Their hands separated. "Farewell, Daphne," Lachesis said. "And welcome, Niobe."
What? Niobe looked down at herself-and discovered she looked like Lachesis.
Yes-you are with us now, Lachesis said silently to her. Your body has gone to Daphne-the former Clotho. Be silent; your day is coming, while hers is done.
Niobe was silent. She watched and listened and felt, while Daphne turned about, verifying her new separateness, then faced them. "Farewell, old friends," Daphne said, and her own eyes were bright with tears. "And thank you, Niobe. You have given me back my life." She opened her arms, and Lachesis embraced her; this time there was no transfer of personality.
Tell her she is welcome, Niobe thought, feeling an almost overwhelming surge of nostalgia. Her body~- changed to that other form-gone forever!
You tell her, Lachesis replied. Something shifted-and Niobe was back in her own form. Except that two other minds were with her.
She glanced in the cabin's mirror-and there she was, as lovely as ever, standing beside Daphne. Fate had assumed her likeness!
"You are welcome. Daphne," Niobe said.
Then, suddenly, she was crying uncontrollably. Daphne opened her arms to her, and they hugged each other, the tears streaming down both their faces.
At last they pulled apart, looked at each other, two comely young women, smiled-and burst into tears again. For pity's sake! the third mind in her body grumbled. That was, Niobe realized, Atropos, the oldest Aspect.
Eventually Niobe and Daphne ran dry. "I can see you resemble me," Niobe said tearfully. "I hope you have the very best of lives ahead of you."
"I surely do," Daphne replied. "Fate pulled a thread."
They had to laugh at that. Then Niobe turned the body back to Lachesis, who turned it into the spider, and they climbed nimbly up the thread to the cabin ceiling, on through
Difficult indeed. The idea of being with another man- another woman's man-appalled her. Yet she could see that it did have to be a consequence of joining with other women, when there were not enough bodies to go around.
"Suppose-I decline?" "My dear, we do not force anyone to join us! It may be different with a couple of the male Incarnations- though of course there is no law about that, only custom- but we women are more accommodating. If you elect to remain mortal, you will return to your prior life, and we will select another woman for the exchange. But I confess that we do like you, and not merely for your beauty; seldom does a mortal person have the courage to approach Thanatos as you did."
"I have no courage!" Niobe protested. "I had to do it!"
"Oh? Why?"
"To save my husband, the man I love!"
"And for love you went literally into the fire. If that is not courage, it remains a quality we deeply respect."
"And it was all for nothing!"
"Yes, it is an irony. We could not give you what you desired, then, and we offer you some of what you do not desire now. Yet there are compensations."
Niobe knew she would burst into tears again if they remained longer on the subject of what she had desired; she had to focus on new things. "Compensations?"
"Immortality-as long as you choose. Power-as much as you can manage. Purpose-for you will spin the ultimate threads of man's existence. We are Fate."
Niobe thought about returning to her former life-without Cedric. Then she thought of immortality, power, and purpose-and the opportunity to seek to settle her score with Satan. She would rather have had Cedric, but she really had no choice-as Chronos had known. She was destined to accept this role. "How do I join?"
"Take my hand," Lachesis said, extending it. Niobe took her hand. There was an odd sensation of flux. She felt simultaneous loss and gain. Then she saw that Lachesis had changed to the form of the young, pretty woman who had appeared momentarily in her Purgatory Abode.
Their hands separated. "Farewell, Daphne," Lachesis said. "And welcome, Niobe."
What? Niobe looked down at herself-and discovered she looked like Lachesis.
Yes-you are with us now, Lachesis said silently to her. Your body has gone to Daphne-the former Clotho. Be silent; your day is coming, while hers is done.
Niobe was silent. She watched and listened and felt, while Daphne turned about, verifying her new separateness, then faced them. "Farewell, old friends," Daphne said, and her own eyes were bright with tears. "And thank you, Niobe. You have given me back my life." She opened her arms, and Lachesis embraced her; this time there was no transfer of personality.
Tell her she is welcome, Niobe thought, feeling an almost overwhelming surge of nostalgia. Her body~- changed to that other form-gone forever!
You tell her, Lachesis replied. Something shifted-and Niobe was back in her own form. Except that two other minds were with her.
She glanced in the cabin's mirror-and there she was, as lovely as ever, standing beside Daphne. Fate had assumed her likeness!
"You are welcome. Daphne," Niobe said.
Then, suddenly, she was crying uncontrollably. Daphne opened her arms to her, and they hugged each other, the tears streaming down both their faces.
At last they pulled apart, looked at each other, two comely young women, smiled-and burst into tears again. For pity's sake! the third mind in her body grumbled. That was, Niobe realized, Atropos, the oldest Aspect.
Eventually Niobe and Daphne ran dry. "I can see you resemble me," Niobe said tearfully. "I hope you have the very best of lives ahead of you."
"I surely do," Daphne replied. "Fate pulled a thread."
They had to laugh at that. Then Niobe turned the body back to Lachesis, who turned it into the spider, and they climbed nimbly up the thread to the cabin ceiling, on through
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