he took a thick envelope out of his inside pocket . gray knew immediately to whom she was referring . he realized that he was rapidly running out of air . `` not for a long time , '' he answered . i turned forty and then your grandmother got sick and she died . '' `` maybe he was n't wearing it tonight . '' he popped the top on the champagne and poured two glasses . above him the clock he had wound with the silver key continued to mark off the seconds and minutes and hours . 