Section 17

Now this, to the present writer’s mind at least, certainly lifts the murder out of the realm of the absolutely wanton. We may imagine that Griffin had taken the rod as a weapon indeed, but without any deliberate intention of using it to murder. Wicksteed may then have come by and noticed this rod inexplicably moving through the air. Without any thought of the Invisible Man—for Port Burdock is ten miles away—he may have pursued it. It is quite conceivable that he may not even have heard — of the Invisible Man. One can, then, imagine the
ae LM.
194 _ THE INVISIBLE MAN
Invisible Man making off quietly in order to avoid discovering his presence in the neighbourhood, | and Wicksteed, excited and- curious, pursuing this unaccountably locomotive object, finally striking” at it. No doubt the Invisible Man could easily have” distanced his middle-aged pursuer under ordinary circumstances, but the position in which Wicksteed’s body was found suggests that he had the ill-luck to drive his quarry into a corner between a drift of stinging nettles and the gravel-pit. To those who appreciate the extraordinary irascibility of th Invisible Man the rest of the encounter will be easy to imagine. |
But this is a pure hypothesis. The only undeniable ~ ' facts—for stories of children are often unreliable—_ are the discovery of Wicksteed’s body, done to death, — and of the blood-stained iron rod flung among the’ nettles. The abandonment of the rod by Griffin” suggests that in the emotional excitement of the ~ affair the purpose for which he took it—if he had a — purpose—was abandoned. He was certainly an intensely egotistical and unfeeling man, but the sight of his victim, his first victim, bloody and pitiful — at his feet, may have released some long pent fountain of remorse to flood for a time whatever scheme of action he had contrived.
After the murder of Mr. Wicksteed, he would seem to have struck across the country towards the downland. There is a story of a voice heard about © sunset by a couple of men in a field near Fern — Bottom. It was wailing and laughing, sobbing and groaning, and ever and again it shouted. It must have been queer hearing. It drove up across the
. THE WICKSTEED MURDER 195
middle of a clover field and died away towards — the hills. .
In the interim the Invisible Man must have learnt something of the rapid use Kemp had made of his confidences. He must have found houses locked and secured, he may have loitered about railway stations and prowled about inns, and no doubt he read the proclamations and realised something of the nature of the campaign against him. And as the evening advanced the fields became dotted here and there with groups of three or four men, and noisy with the . yelping of dogs. These men-hunters had particular instructions in the case of an encounter as to the way they should support one another. But he avoided them all. We may understand something of his exasperation, and it could have been none the less because he himself had supplied the information that was being used so remorselessly against him. For that day at least he lost heart; for nearly twenty-four hours, save when he turned on Wick- steed, he was a hunted man. In the night he must have eaten and slept, for in the morning he was himself again, active, powerful, angry and malignant, prepared for his last great struggle against the world, |
27 The Siege of Kemp’s House
Kor read a strange missive, written in pencil om —
“a greasy sheet of paper. 4 “ You have been amazingly energetic and clever,” _ this letter ran, “ though what you stand to gain by — it I cannot imagine. You are against me. For af whole day you have chased me—you have tried to — rob me of a night’s rest. But I have had food i spite of you, I have slept in spite of you, and game is only beginning. The game is only beginning. — There is nothing for it but to start the Terror. This — announces the first day of the Terror. Port eo |
is no longer under the Queen, tell your Colonel of - Police, and the rest of them; it is under me—the © Terror! This is day one of year one of the new — epoch—the Epoch of the Invisible Man. I am Invisible Man the First. To begin with, the rule will be easy. The first day there will be one execution — . for the sake of example—a man named Kemp, "Death starts for him to-day. He may lock himself away, hide himself away, get guards about him, put ~ on armour if he likes—Death, the unseen Death, is” coming. Let him take precautions—it will impress” my people, Death starts from the pillar-box by : midday. ‘The letter will fall in as the postman comes — along, then off! The game begins. Death starts. — _ Help him not, my people, lest Death fall upon you © also. To-day Kemp is to ao ‘
3 ce | THE SIEGE OF KEMP’S HOUSE 197 _ Kemp read this letter twice. “It’s no hoax,” he said. “‘ That’s his voice! And he means it.”
| He turned the folded sheet over and saw on the addressed. side of it the postmark Hintondean and the prosaic detail, “ 2d. to pay.”
He got up slowly, leaving his lunch unfinished— the letter had come by the one o’clock post—and went into his study. He rang for his housekeeper, and told her to go round the house at once, examine
shutters. He closed the shutters of his study himself. From a locked drawer in his bedroom he took a little revolver, examined it carefully, and put it into the pocket of his lounge jacket. He wrote a number of brief notes, one to Colonel Adye, gave them to his servant to take, with explicit instructions as to her way of leaving the house. “ There is no danger,”
he said, and added a mental reservation, “‘ to you.”
He remained meditative for a space after doing this,
and then returned to his cooling lunch.
He ate with gaps of thought. Finally he struck the table sharply. “‘ We will have him! ” he said, “and I am the bait. He will come too far.”
He went up to the belvedere, carefully shutting every door after him. “‘ It’s a game,” he said, “ an odd game—but the chances are all for me, Mr. Griffin, in spite of your invisibility. And pluck. Griffin contra mundum . . . with a vengeance! ”
He stood at the window staring at the hot hillside. “Be must get food every day—and I don’t envy him. Did he really sleep last night? Out in the Open somewhere—secure from collisions. I wish
we could get some good cold, wet weather instead of the heat.
all the fastenings of the windows, and close all the
i . ee ee “ roe uel eee eG SEN bee le é = 7" ri ‘
pl Rats ted racer other” a a Nee
198 _ THE INVISIBLE MAN,
* He may be watching me now.’
He went close to the window. riceite rappt smartly against the brickwork over the frame, and: made him start violently back.
“I’m getting nervous,” said Kemp. But it five minutes before he went to the window again ‘“‘ Tt must have been a sparrow,” he said. }
Presently he heard the front-door bell ringing an d hurried downstairs. He unbolted and unlocked the door, examined the chain, put it up, and opened” cautiously without showing himself. A famili voice hailed‘him. It was Adye. “ Your servant's” been assaulted, Kemp,” he said round the door,
** What! ” exclaimed Kemp. 7
** Had that note of yours taken a away from her. He’s close about here. Let me in.’ ;.
Kemp released the chain, and Adye entered through as narrow an opening as possible. He stood in the hall, looking with infinite relief at Kemp refastening the door. “‘ Note was snatched out of her hand. Scared her horribly. She’s down at the station. Hysterics. He’s close here. What was it about? ”
Kemp swore. E
“ What a fool I was!” said Kemp. “I might - have known. It’s not an hour’s walk from Hinton- dean. Already!”
‘* What’s up? ” said Adye. .
* Took here! ” said Kemp, and led the way inte his study. He handed Adye the Invisible Man’s letter. Adye read it, and whistled softly. “‘ And you——? ” said Adye.
* Proposed a ia ai aed a fool,” said K
+
THE SIEGE OF KEMP’S HOUSE 199
“and sent my proposal out by a maidservant. To him.”
Adye followed Kemp’s profanity.
* He'll clear out,” said Adye.
* Not him,” said Kemp. faee resounding smash of glass came from upstairs. Adye had a silvery glimpse of a little revolver half out of Kemp’s pocket. “ It’s a window upstairs! ” said Kemp, and led the way up. There came a second crash while they were still.on the staircase. ‘When they reached the study they found two of the three windows smashed, half the room littered with splinteréd glass, and one big flint lying on the writing-table. The two men stopped in the doorway contemplating the wreckage. Kemp swore again, and as he did so the third window went with a snap like a pistol, hung starred for a moment, and collapsed in jagged, shivering triangles into the room.
** What’s this for? ” said Adye.
* It’s a beginning,” said Kemp.
“ There’s no way of climbing up here? *
‘* Not for a cat,” said Kemp.
** No shutters? ”
“Not here. All the downstairs rooms—Hallo! ”
Smash, and then the whack of boards hit hard | came from downstairs. ‘“‘ Confound him!” said Kemp. “ That must be—yes—it’s one of the bed- rooms. He’s going to do all the house. But he’s a . fool. The shutters are up and the glass will fall outside. He’ll cut his feet.”
Another window proclaimed its destruction. The two men stood on the landing perplexed. _ “T have it!” said Adye. “ Let me have a stick
or something, and I’ll go down to the station an
- here.”
200. - ; THE INVISIBLE MAN
get the bloodhounds put on. That ought to sete | him! 99 Another window went the way of its fellows. * You haven’t a revolver? ” asked Adye. Kemp’s hand went to his pocket. thes he | hesitated. “ I haven’t one—at least to spare.” i ** Tl bring it back,” said Adye. ** You'll be salem :
+
Kemp, ashamed of — momentary lapse from truthfulness, handed him the weapon. ** Now for the door,” said Adye. As they stood hesitating in the hall, they heard one of the first-floor bedroom windows crack and — clash. Kemp went to the door and began to slip _ the bolts as silently as possible. His face was a little paler than usual. b | ** You must step straight out,” said Kemp. In another moment Adye was on the doorstep and the bolts were dropping back into the staples. He hesitated for a moment, feeling more comfortable with his back against the door. Then he marched, upright and square, down the steps. He crossed the lawn and approached the gate. A little breeze seemed to ripple over the grass. Something moved near him, ; “Stop a bit,” said a Voice, and Adye stopped dead, and his hand tightened on the revolver. - _“ Well? ” said Adye, white and grim, and every nerve tense. _ * Oblige me by going bak to the house,” said the Voice, as tense and grim as Adye’s.
_ “Sorry,” said Adye, a little hoarsely, and moistened his lips with his tongue. The Voice was
;
: . f Wm THE SIEGE OF KEMP’S HOUSE 201
om his left front, he thought; suppose he were to ake his luck with a shot ?
“What are you going for? ” said the Voice, and
ere was a quick movement of the two, and a flash of sunlight from the open lip of Adye’s pocket. _ Adye desisted and thought. ‘ Where I go,” he said slowly, “ is my own business.” The words were ;till on his lips, when an arm came round his neck, his back felt a knee, and he was sprawling backward. He drew clumsily and fired absurdly, and in another. moment he was struck in the mouth and the revolver wrested from his grip. He made a vain cl .tch at a fippery limb, tried to struggle up and tell back. | Damn! ” said Adye. The Voice laughed. | “Td kill you now if it wasn’t the waste of a bullet,” it said. He saw the revolver in mid-air, six teet off, covering him. © Well? ” said Adye, sitting up. ~ “ Get up,” said the Voice. _ Adye stood up. Attention!” said the Voice, and then firmly, “don’t try any games. Remember I can see your face, if you can’t see mine. You've got to go back to the house.” .
“ He won't let me in,” said Adye.
“That’s a pity,” said the Invisible Man. “I've ,
got no quarrel with you.”
Adye moistened his lips again. He glanced away from the barrel of the revolver, and saw the sea far off, very blue and dark under the midday sun, the smooth green down, the white cliff of the head, and the multitudinous town, and suddenly he knew that
life was very sweet. His eyes came back to this”
little metal thing hanging between heaven and
202 THE INVISIBLE MAN
earth, six yards away. “ What am I to, do? by he said sullenly.
“What am I to do?” asked the Invisible Mang “ You will get help. The only thing is for you to. go back.” .
“T will try. Ifhe i me in will you promise not to rush the door? ” ;
“I’ve got no quarrel with you,” said the Voice.
Kemp had hurried upstairs after letting Adye out, and now, crouching among the broken glass, and peering cautiously over the edge of the study window-sill, he saw Adye stand parleying with unseen, “ Why doesn’t he fire? ” whispered Kemp to himself. Then the revolver moved a little, and the glint of the sunlight flashed in Kemp’s eyes. He shaded his eyes and tried to see the course of the blinding beam.
“Surely! ” he said. “ Adye has given up the revolver.” }
** Promise not to rush the door,” Adye was saying. - ** Don’t push a winning game too far. Give a man a chance.”
“You go back to the ome I tell you flatly LS will not promise anything.”
Adye’s decision seemed suddenly made. He turned) towards the house, walking slowly with his hands behind him. Kemp watched him—puzzled. The revolver vanished, flashed again into sight, vanished again, and became evident on a closer scrutiny as a little dark object following Adye. Then things happened very quickly. Adye leapt back- wards, swung round, clutched at this little object, missed it, threw up his hands and fell forward on his face, leaving a little puff of blue in the air.
THE SIEGE OF KEMP’S HOUSE =. 203— = ‘Kemp did not hear the sound of the shot. Adye writhed, raised himself on one arm, fell forward, and lay still. ;
For a space Kemp remained staring at the quiet carelessness of Adye’s attitude. The afternoon was lvery hot and still, nothing seemed stirring in all the © world save a couple of yellow butterflies chasing each other through the shrubbery between the house ‘and the road gate. Adye lay on the lawn near the gate. The blinds of all the villas down the hill road “were drawn, but in one little green summer-house > was a white figure, apparently an old man asleep. Kemp s¢rutinised the surroundings of the house for a glimpse of the revolver, but it had vanished. His eyes came back to Adye—— The game was opening well.
Then came a ringing and knocking at the front © |door, that grew at last tumultuous, but, pursuant to Kemp’s instructions, the servants had locked them- selves into their rooms. This was followed by a silence. Keinp sat listening and then began peering cautiously out of the three windows, one after an- other. He went to the staircase head and stood listening uneasily. He armed himself with his bed- ‘room poker, and went to examine the interior
fastenings of the ground-floor windows again. | Everything was safe and quiet. He returned to the — belvedere. .Adye lay motionless over the edge of — the gravel just as he had fallen. Coming along the | road by the villas were the housemaid and two
policemen.
Everything was deadly still, The three people seemed very slow in approaching. He wondered what his antagonist was doing.
204 THE INVISIBLE MAN
‘He started. There was a smash from below. He hesitated and went downstairs again. Suddenly the house resounded with heavy blows and the splinter- ing of wood. He heard a smash and the distinctive clang of the iron fastenings of shutters. He turned the key and opened the kitchen door. As he did so the shutters, split and splintering, came flying inward, He stood aghast. The window frame, save for one cross-bar, was still intact, but only little teeth of glass remained in the frame. The shutters had been driven in with an axe, and now the axe was descend- ing in sweeping blows upon the window frame and the iron bars defending it. Then suddenly it leapt aside and vanished.