Satan stretched without opening his eyes and yawned, gaping to the
fullest extent of his jaws and curling his tongue upward so that it
seemed pointed like a snake's. Then he rolled over on his other side and
curled up with his paws under his chin. A bumblebee blundered by Val's
head on its way to visit the morning-glories. He suddenly discovered it
difficult to keep his eyes open.
"Someone's comin'," observed Jeems. "Ah just heard a car turn in from
the road."
"But the folks have been gone such a short time," Val protested.
However, the car which came almost noiselessly down the drive was not
the one in which the family had departed. It had the shape of a sleek
gray beetle, rounded so that it was difficult to tell at first glance
the hood from the rear. It glided to a stop before the steps and after a
moment four passengers disembarked.
Val simply stared, but Jeems got to his feet in one swift movement.
For, coming purposefully up the terrace steps, were four men they had
seen before and had very good cause to remember for the rest of their
lives.
In the lead strutted the rival, a tight smile rendering his unlovely
features yet more disagreeable. Behind him trotted the red-faced
counselor who had accompanied him on his first visit. But matching the
rival step for step was the "Boss," while "Red" brought up the rear in a
tidy fashion.
"Swell place, ain't it?" demanded the rival, taking no notice of Val or
Jeems. "Make yourselves to home, boys; the place is yours."
Val gripped the arm of his chair. Sam, Rupert, Holmes--they were all
beyond call. It was left to him to meet this unbelievable invasion
alone. There was a stir beside him. Val glanced up to meet the slightest
of reassuring nods from the swamper. Jeems was with him.
"Whatcha gonna do with the joint, Brick?" asked Red, tossing his
cigarette down on the flagstones and grinding it to powder with his
heel.
"I dunno yet." The rival strode importantly toward the front door.
"You might tell us when you find out," Val suggested quietly.
With an exaggerated start of surprise the rival turned toward the boy.
"Oh, so it's you, kid?"
"Perhaps," Val said softly, "you had better introduce your friends.
After all, I like to know the names of my guests."
The Boss smiled sardonically and Red grinned. Only the red-faced lawyer
shuffled his feet uneasily and looked from one to another of his
companions with an expression of pleading. But the rival came directly
to the point.
"Where's that high and mighty brother of yours?" he demanded.
"Mr. Ralestone will doubtless be very glad to see you," Val evaded,
having no desire for the visitors to discover just how slender his
resources were. "Jeems, you might go and tell him that we have visitors.
Go through the Long Hall, it's nearer that way." He dug the fingernails
of his sound hand into the soft wood of the chair arm. Could Jeems
interpret that hint? Someone must remove and hide the Luck before these
men saw it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account