Chapter 15

           ThemenialstaffoftheParkLaneHospitalfortheDyingconsistedofonehundredandsixty-twoDeltasdividedintotwoBokanovskyGroupsofeighty-fourredheadedfemaleandseventy-eightdarkdolychocephalicmaletwins,respectively.Atsix,whentheirworkingdaywasover,thetwoGroupsassembledinthevestibuleoftheHospitalandwereservedbytheDeputySub-Bursarwiththeirsomaration.

           FromthelifttheSavagesteppedoutintothemidstofthem.Buthismindwaselsewhere–withdeath,withhisgrief,andhisremorse;mechanicaly,withoutconsciousnessofwhathewasdoing,hebegantoshoulderhiswaythroughthecrowd.

           "Whoareyoupushing?Wheredoyouthinkyou’regoing?"

           High,low,fromamultitudeofseparatethroats,onlytwovoicessqueakedorgrowled.Repeatedindefinitely,asthoughbyatrainofmirrors,twofaces,oneahairlessandfreckledmoonhaloedinorange,theotherathin,beakedbird-mask,stubblywithtwodays’beard,turnedangrilytowardshim.Theirwordsand,inhisribs,thesharpnudgingofelbows,brokethroughhisunawareness.Hewokeoncemoretoexternalreality,lookedroundhim,knewwhathesaw–knewit,withasinkingsenseofhorroranddisgust,fortherecurrentdeliriumofhisdaysandnights,thenightmareofswarmingindistinguishablesameness.Twins,twins....LikemaggotstheyhadswarmeddefilinglyoverthemysteryofLinda’sdeath.Maggotsagain,butlarger,fullgrown,theynowcrawledacrosshisgriefandhisrepentance.