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floating on the surface like a jellyfish, evolution in reverse ." Still,
he made a killing on this deal. He bought the house from the state, and
got it for next to nothing."
"How about the other people they moved out? They put up a stink, too?"
"That supposed to be a pun?"
Herb guffawed ." Never thought of that!"
"You don't understand-they never had to move anybody else .
They just held off till George was home free, and then Brodsky announced
the cutback. The notices were rescinded, and everybody was happy.
"Oh, I get it." Herb looked disappointed ." So it's too late now, huh?"
"Too late for what?"
"To pick up a place like this for myself."
"R.U.N. Run?"
The man on the bed nodded. His foot tapped once, twice, and three
times; once, twice, and five times.
"Run away ."
The man on the bed nodded.
Irene Crystal put her hand on Phyllis's ." Excuse me," she whispered,
"we're going now, I just wanted to say good-bye."
Phyllis left Cissy to fend for herself ." Oh, what a shame!" she cried
automatically ." Can't you stay just a little longer? It's so early
yet."
"I'd love to, dear, believe me. But Jack's folks are coming over
tomorrow morning, and if I know them"-she rolled her eyes
comicolly-"they'll be ringing the bell at nine."
Phyllis kept Irene talking while ushering her toward the coat closet,
anxious lest the sight of one early departure produce a mass exodus
among the others ." Well, I certainly do hope you'll find the time to
come out again real soon. It's not as far as it looks, really, once you
know the way."
"Oh, no, honestly, it wasn't a bad trip at all." Jack was already
standing by the coat closet. Phyllis looked nervously at the other
guests ." It's just that his folks are coming down, otherwise we'd never
think of leaving so soon."
Jack leaned toward her ." I wanted to thank George," he said solemnly, a
small boy remembering his manners, "but he was in the bathroom. You
will thank him for me, won't you?"
"God, is he in there again?" Phyllis grimaced ." Yes, of course I will."
"Tell him we think it's just the most fantastic place we've ever seen.
The find of a lifetime."
A few of the people at the bar had noticed them. Fred Weingast glanced
at his watch ." Yes, of course I will." Phyllis wished the two would
hurry up and leave quietly.
"I'm still amazed about what you said upstairs."
"Pardon me?"
"Upstairs," Irene went on ." In your bedroom. About the man before you
living here all alone."
Phyllis watched Weingast out of the corner of her eye ." Quite a
character, wasn't he?"
" But why a nursery?"
"What? Oh, the nursery! Well, we tried to keep things the way we found
them. It was like that when we came. Maybe we'll turn it into another
guest room." She flashed a big grin at the Crystals ." That way you'll
be able to come more often, without
"No," Irene persisted, "I mean, it was already here when you moved in,
right? But you said that man never had any children."
Damn it! Now Arthur Faschman was looking at his watch ." I'm sure I
don't know," she said hurriedly ." I guess it was here when he moved
in."
"With all those toys? A lot of them looked used."
"Maybe he played with them himself. I told you he was crazy."
"Honey, we're going to have a long drive as it is," said Jack ." I
don't want to get back too late." He moved into the fro oning his
overcoat.
Phyllis held the door open for them ." Whew! These November nights are
freezing out here! It's the open fields, George says-no wind
resistance." She backed away from the blast of cold air. Then, as if by
rote: "Just make sure you drive carefully and get home safe."
Irene smiled ." I only allowed him two drinks all night." She kissed
Phyllis on the cheek ." Bye-bye, dear, and thanks."
"Be sure to thank George for us," said Jack as the door was closing.
"So you think you're gonna run away, huh?" The man on the bed shook his
head "No, sir! You ain't going nowhere, buster. Last time an inmate
got out, we caught up with him in less than twelve hours, and that was
before we installed the new aldrin system. Uh-uh, no way!"
The man on the bed shook his head, more violently this time; his mouth
twisted into a snarl.
"01; I get it,. you want me to run away?"
More violently still. Then, quickly.- eight, two, and one; one and four
.
H.U.N.G.R.Y.
The voices from the living room were lost in the twistings of the
corridor, and the library stood dark and deserted. The door had been
left open, but Ellie lingered in the hall, reluctant to enter. Running
her hand along the inside of the doorway and finding no switch, she
inched toward one of the heavy floor lamps that stood beside a desk, the
two forms outlined by moonlight. The rug felt thick and silent beneath
her feet, like animal fur. There was something about the room that made
one tiptoe, lest some presence be disturbed.
The lamp's sudden glare dazzled her, and in the instant before blindness
she saw something rise from the desktop. A cry came from them both, but
the other was first to speak.
"Who . . . ? Uh-oh, what time is it?"
"Doris! God, you gave me a fright! Who were you hiding from?"
"Sorry, I must have fallen asleep. I was in the middle of this
story"-she indicated the book that lay open on the desk'and I thought
I'd take a little nap. It's such a long trip home, and if I know Sid
he'll be in no condition to drive." She rubbed her eyes ." He's been
looking for me?"
"I'm sorry to say you haven't even been missed."
"Why, what time is it?"
"Not yet eleven, I think."
"Well that's a relief. Still early, then. Sorry I scared you. I
probably shouldn't have turned off the light."
" What were you reading?"
She slid the book toward her ." It's a translation of one in the living
room. A children's book, I think. I'm amazed he'd buy two copies."
"I ather you were using it as a pillow."
Doris smiled ." Yes, I- Oh my gosh, did I get print all over my cheek?"
She tilted her face in the light for the other's inspection .
"This makeup picks up more dirt and soot, especially in the
city.........
"You're-okay. You may have smeared that picture a bit, though."
She pointed to a small woodcut in the center of the left-hand page .
"Good Lord, what is it?"
"Isn't he cute? He's called the Little Devil." She flipped back toward
the beginning of the story ." See, the farmer plants this bean, and then
he waters it every day"-she indicated the illustrations"and when autumn
comes, and harvest time, there he is, growing right out of the ground."
Ellie wrinkled up her nose ." Precious."
George snapped off the bathroom light and walked down the hall to the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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