The Drawing of the Three

Eddie tells Odetta about Roland’s condition. She joins Eddie in his search for the third door, leaving Roland behind to rest. Roland lets Eddie go but asks him to watch out for Detta’s return. Odetta now enjoys the meat of the lobstrosities, noting that she ate a similar creature once before but disliked it. To Eddie, this shows that Odetta is somewhat aware of her time as Detta, but he doesn’t tell her about “the other” because the knowledge may be too much for her to process (318). The next night is beautiful and clear, with many stars visible in the sky. Moved by emotion, Odetta and Eddie begin to cry and sing a song from their world. Later, they make love. In the morning, they begin their trek and see a door in the distance at last, close to the hills. However, they hear the growl of a wildcat.

Eddie and Odetta try to open the door but fail. She tells him to fetch Roland because the door will open only for him. Eddie leaves Odetta with some food and, for her protection, stones. Odetta doesn’t want to take the gun he offers since she’s a pacifist, but Eddie tells her the area might be swarming with dangerous animals, including the wildcat they heard.