Scene 9 Summary

The women and child are huddled to one side, JB sits in "an enormous loneliness," and three figures come forward. Zophar wears a clerical collar, Eliphaz wears an intern's jacket, and Bildad wears a businessman's leather wind-breaker. All of the clothing is worn out. The young girl wakes up and screams for her mother, waking the other women. They describe the newcomers, by their apparent professions and their appearance, as the sort of people who feed on the misfortunes of others. One of the women recalls a dream about "some queen of Scotland" as JB pulls himself to a sitting position, moans to himself that even death wouldn't heal his misery, and again cries out asking what he has done. Each of the Three Comforters offers an enigmatic answer, but JB doesn't hear them clearly. He can't see them clearly either, and apologizes...