The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps

Chapter XIV

I Go in for Action

That second knock was a wow, and no mistake.

It brought response from inside. There was a jolt, the slipping of a chair, a whispered voice — another, I thought, which sounded like a man’s. Feet crossed to the door, and Michelle Gorgon spoke. His voice was soft again, but there was still a tremor in it.

“There, there, Mr. Williams. A little difficulty — family difficulty, that you would not understand. And please don’t pound like that again. I’ll be with you in a minute. I—”

Feet moved across the floor. Feet that didn’t belong to Michelle Gorgon, by the door. Feet that were too heavy for that delicate, crippled woman in the big chair.

I know I was silly. It wasn’t any of my business. If I had any sense I’d have lifted my hat and left the place. Yet, I’m the sort of a guy who does silly things, and likes to do them. Why think it out and reason it? Reason’s a damn poor excuse, most times, for not having guts. I didn’t reason then — and I didn’t think it out. I obeyed the impulse. And the impulse was to — well — here was a chance to talk to Doctor Gorgon. And in a way, at least, I understood — and he would understand in a minute. Damn it, he didn’t expect me to keep pounding on that door, like an hysterical woman.

“Open that door — and keep the lady there,” I said. “No talking like a book now, Doctor. You’ll have to talk like a man for once. Open the door now, or, by God! I’ll put a bullet through the lock.”

He answered.

“If you do that you will wake the house. Men who might not understand.” Feet were moving quickly inside — heavy feet, that were weighted under a burden, I thought. The woman was being taken from the room by another door.

“No more wind, Doc.” I was giving him the truth now. “Open the door, or get out of the way while a bullet goes through the lock.”

“Williams, I—”

And that was that. Doctor Gorgon might speak just to hear himself talk, but I didn’t. There was a single roar of my gun, the splintering of wood — and a shattered lock. My hand on the knob, my shoulders hunched, with a thrust of my body I had that door open and was in the room. The time for talk was over. When I want an “in” I generally get an “in.” And when I take a shot at a lock, that ends that lock. Forty-four is the caliber of my guns. Maybe old fashioned and not much in use today — but a forty-four can certainly do a surprising lot of damage.

This was my field, my game. I didn’t more than step through that door when I slammed it behind me and took one quick slant at Doctor Gorgon. His eyes were staring now, but for a different reason than his usual attitude — the “nothing can excite me” stuff. Well — I won’t say staring — rather, bulging. The deep blue pools were hitting high tide, and sort of flooding their banks.

But both his hands were empty, and a curtain on the far side of the library was swinging slightly as I caught a glimpse of the trouser leg of a man.

I brought up my gun, leveled it on that waving curtain and the disappearing leg, and gave the boy who owned the blue trousered limb a chance to live.

“You behind the curtain. Stop — or I’ll—”

“Stop!” Doctor Gorgon’s voice rang out. “There has been a grave misunderstanding. You may return Madame to the room at once.”

And Madame was returned. Michelle Gorgon may have known a lot more words than I did, but, believe me, the few words I have serve my purpose at times. This was one of those times.

Two men carried the woman. She shrieked as they brought her back, in a kind of a swing chair, between them. Personally, they were rather stupid looking fellows but they knew what a gun was and the purpose of it, and the havoc it might raise, for they kept their eyes riveted on mine.

And Madame bellowed when they brought her in. She was not a pretty sight now, worse even than before. Her hair streamed over her forehead and her mouth was twisting spasmodically.

She sort of gasped out her words.