College teachers -- Fiction; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales; Spouses -- Fiction; Witches -- Fiction
It was hard for Norman to appear even slightly pleased. He knew his
reasons were no more sensible than those of a savage afraid someone
will learn his secret name, yet all the same he disliked the idea
of Evelyn Sawtelle monkeying around with his voice. Like her dully
malicious, small-socketed eyes, it suggested a prying for hidden
weaknesses. And then that talk about mixing sounds--somehow it did not
set good with him.
What it all boiled down to was that he detested the woman.
Rather brusquely, he excused himself.
"We'll see you tonight," Evelyn called after him. It sounded like, "You
won't get rid of me."
* * * * *
Back at the office, Norman put in a good hour's work on his notes.
Then, getting up to switch on the light, his glance happened to fall on
the window.
After a few moments, he jerked away and darted to the closet, to get
his field glasses.
Evidently someone had a very obscure sense of humor to perpetrate such
a complicated practical joke.
Intently he searched the cement at the juncture of roof ridge and
clawed feet, looking for the telltale cracks. He could not spot any,
but that was not easy to do in the failing yellow light.
The cement dragon now stood at the edge of the gutter, as if about to
walk over to Morton along the architrave of the big gateway.
He lifted his glasses to the creature's head--blank and crude as an
unfinished skull. Then on an impulse, he dropped them to the row of
sculptured heads, focused on Galileo, and read the little inscription
he had not been able to make out before.
"_Eppur si muove._"
The words Galileo was supposed to have muttered after recanting before
the Inquisition his belief in the revolution of the Earth around the
Sun.
"Nevertheless, it moves."
A board creaked behind him, and he spun around.
By his desk stood a young man, waxen pale, with thick red hair. His
eyes stood out like milky marbles. One white, tendon-ridged hand
gripped a .22 target pistol.
Norman walked toward him, bearing slightly to the right.
The skimpy barrel of the gun came up.
"Hello, Jennings," said Norman. "You've been reinstated. Your grades
have been changed to straight A's."
The gun barrel slowed for an instant.
Norman lunged in.
The gun went off under his left arm, pinking the window.
The gun clunked on the floor. Jennings' skinny form went limp. As
Norman sat him down on the chair, he began to sob, convulsively.
Norman lifted the phone and asked for an on-campus number. The
connection was made quickly. "Gunnison?" he asked.
"Uh-huh, just caught me as I was leaving."
"Theodore Jennings' parents live right near the college, don't they?
You know, the chap who flunked out last semester."
"I believe they do. What's the matter?"
"Better get them over here quick. And have them bring his doctor. He
just tried to shoot me."
There was a pause. Norman visualized Gunnison's startled reaction!
Then, "Right away!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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