our head perfectly motionless
and your eyes wide open； you could see the minute hand inching along toward its
meeting some forty…five minutes from now with the hour hand。 At XII。
（And the Red Death held sway over all。）
He frowned； and then shook the thought away。 It was a thought with no meaning
or reference for him。
He reached his index finger out again and pushed the minute band up to the
hour； curious about what might happen。 It obviously wasn't a cuckoo clock； but
that steel rail had to have some purpose。
There was a small； ratcheting series of clicks； and then the clock began to
tinkle Strauss's 〃Blue Danube Waltz。〃 A punched roll of cloth no more than two
inches in width began to unwind。 A small series of brass strikers rose and fell。
From behind the clockface two figures glided into view along the steel track；
ballet dancers； on the left a girl in a fluffy skirt and white stockings； on the
right a boy in a black leotard and ballet slippers。 Their hands were held in
arches over their beads。 They came together in the middle； in front of VI。
Danny espied tiny grooves in their sides； just below their armpits。 The axis
bar slipped into these grooves and he heard another small click。 The cogs at
either end of the bar began to turn。 〃The Blue Danube〃 tinkled。 The dancers'
arms came down around each other。 The boy flipped the girl up over his head and
then whirled over the bar。 They were now lying prone； the boy's head buried
beneath the girl's short ballet skirt； the girl's face pressed against the
center of the boy's leotard。 They writhed in a mechanical frenzy。
Danny's nose wrinkled。 They were kissing peepees。