But chance, or fate, suddenly seemed to deal Theo a foul blow- as the two fought on the balcony he slipped on the rain-soaked deck, losing his balance, almost falling backwards over the railing. Albert seized the opportunity instantly, falling on Theo like a bird of prey, bending him back, knife upraised for the final, triumphant killing blow.
'Theo!'
Without volition, without thought for herself or what she was doing, Pamela broke out of her paralysis of fear and began running, throwing herself at Albert-
At once, things seemed to move in slow-motion. She crashed into Albert, not daring to believe that she would have any effect on his apparently immovable mass. Yet somehow, catching him off-guard or propelled by fate, she managed to topple him-
She knew at once, the instant their bodies made contact, that this wasn't enough. So she kept going-
There was a brief instant as they both went over the railing when they seemed to hang suspended in midair for an eternity, as though time itself had become a paradoxical membrane that was stretched to the limit, of frantic motion and long, ponderous seconds that seemed to last centuries-
And then . . . she was staring up at the evening sky as though aware for the first time how beautiful it really was . . . the rain appeared as a million glittering motes of light that fell to earth like tears shed by an anguished and bereaved God over His ruined and belovèd Creation . . .
Her reverie was broken by a babel of voices, the approach of running feet, and suddenly her vision was filled with Theo's aghast features.
'Oh God! She's still alive! Someone call 999! Pamela? Look at me. No, Pamela, don't do this!'
As though looking straight through him, she could see a bright light. It was as if everything around her was losing substance, as though the light itself were in truth the only thing that was real. She began to feel herself rising towards it-
'I've called one. There's an ambulance on it's way, Theo . . . oh, God! No! Don't try to move her-'
'Pamela, listen to me. Listen to me, please! Look at me! I can't lose you now. Oh, dear God, you can't die!'
Pamela saw Theo's tears as though they were echoes of falling stars, reflecting the piercing rays of light that emanated from the unbearably bright object before her.
'I love you. Do you hear me? We're going to get you to a hospital, and they're going to fix you up, and we're going to spend the rest of our lives together . . . please . . . Oh, God, No! . . . I'm begging you . . . don't do this! NO!'