第 15 节
作者:一米八      更新:2021-02-20 18:33      字数:9321
  to altitudes there are always two angles of vision … that from the
  summit and that from the green valley below。  Kitty saw him beyond
  the tree line; but just this side of the snows … and matched his
  condescension with pity!  He chuckled。  Doddering old ass; what
  did it matter how she looked at him?
  Beautiful and young and full of common sense; yet dangerously
  romantical。  To wait for the man she wanted; what did that signify
  but romance?  And there was her Irish blood to consider。  The
  association of pretty nurse and interesting patient always afforded
  excellent background for sentimental nonsense; the obligations of
  the one and the gratitude of the other。  Well; he had nipped that
  in the bud。
  And why hadn't he taken this Two…Hawks person … how easy it was to
  fall into Kitty's way of naming the chap! … why hadn't he taken him
  directly to the Roosevelt?  Why all this pother and secrecy over
  a total stranger?  Stefani Gregor; who lived opposite Kitty and who
  hadn't prospered particularly since the day he had exhibited the
  drums of jeopardy … he was the reason。  These were volcanic days;
  and a friend of Stefani Gregor … who played the violin like
  Paganini … might well be worth the trouble of a little courtesy。
  Then; too; there was that mark of the thong … a charm; a military
  identification disk or something of value。  Whatever it was; the
  rogues had got it。  Murder and loot。  And as soon as he returned
  to consciousness the young fellow would be making inquiries。
  Perhaps Kitty's point of view regarding a certain duffer aged
  fifty…two was nearer the truth than the duffer himself realized。
  Second childhood!  As if the drums of jeopardy would ever again
  see light; after that tempest of fire and death … that mud
  volcano!
  One thing was certain … there would be no more cat…napping。  The
  game was on again。  He was assured of that side of it。
  Green stones; the sunlight breaking against the flaws in a shower
  of golden sparks; green as the pulp of a Champagne grape; the drums
  of jeopardy!  Murder and loot; he could understand。
  Immediately after the patient was put to bed Cutty changed。  A
  nondescript suit of the day…labourer type and a few deft touches
  of coal dust completed his make…up。
  〃I shan't be back until morning;〃 he announced。  〃Work to do。
  Kuroki will be at your service through the night; Miss Frances。
  Strike that Burmese gong once; at any hour。  Come along; Harrison。〃
  〃Want any company?〃 asked Harrison; with a belligerent twist to his
  moustache。
  Cutty laughed。  〃No。  You run along to your lambs。  I'm running with
  the wolves to…night; old scout; and you might get that spick…and…span
  uniform considerably mussed up。  Besides; it's raining。〃
  〃But what's to become of Miss Conover?  She ought not to remain
  alone in that apartment。〃
  〃Well; well!  I thought of that; too。  But she can take care of
  herself。〃
  〃Those ruffians may call up the hospital and learn that we tricked
  them。
  〃And then?〃
  〃Try to force the truth from Miss Conover。〃
  〃That's precisely the wherefore of this coal dust。  On your way!〃
  Eleven o'clock。  Kitty was in the kitchen; without light; her chair
  by the window; which she had thrown up。  She had gone to bed; but
  sleep was impossible。  So she decided to watch the Gregor windows。
  Sometimes the mind is like a movie camera set for a double exposure。
  The whole scene is visible; but the camera sees only half of it。
  Thus; while she saw the windows across the court there entered the
  other side of her mind a picture of the immaculate Cutty crossing
  the platform with Johnny Two…Hawks thrown over his shoulder。  The
  mental picture obscured the actual。
  She had called him old。  Well; he was old。  And no doubt he looked
  upon her as a child; wanting her to spend the night at a hotel!  The
  affair was over。  No one would bother Kitty Conover。  Why should
  they?  But it took strength to shoulder a man like that。  What fun
  he and her father must have had together!  And Cutty had loved her
  mother!  That made Kitty exquisitely tender for a moment。  All
  alone; at the age when new friendships were impossible。  A lovable
  man like that going down through life alone!
  Census taker of alien undesirables; a queer occupation for a man so
  famous as Cutty。  Patriotism … to plunge into that seething
  revolutionary scum to sort the dangerous madmen from the harmless
  mad…men。  Courage and strength and mental resource; yes; Cutty
  possessed these; and he would be the kind to laugh at a joke or a
  hurt。
  One thing; however; was indelibly printed on her mind。  Stefani
  Gregor … either Cutty had met and known the man or he had heard of
  him。
  Suddenly she became conscious that she was blinking as one blinks
  from mirror…reflected sunlight。  She cast about for the source of
  this phenomenon。  Obliquely from between the interstices of the
  fire…escape platform came a point of moving white light。  She craned
  her neck。  A battery lamp!  The round spot of light worked along the
  cement floor; vanished occasionally; reappeared; and then vanished
  altogether。  Somebody was down there hunting for something。  What?
  Kitty remained with her head out of the window for some time;
  unmindful of the spatter of rain。  But nothing happened。  The man
  was gone。  Of course the incident might not have the slightest
  bearing upon the previous adventures of this amazing night; still;
  it was suggestive。  The young man had worn something round his neck。
  But if his enemies had it why should this man comb the court;
  unless he was a tenant and had knocked something off a window ledge?
  She began to appreciate that she was very tired; and decided to go
  back to bed。  This time she fell asleep。  Her disordered thoughts
  rearranged themselves in a dazzling dream。  She found herself
  wandering through a glorious translucent green cavern … a huge
  emerald。  And in the distance she heard that unmistakable
  tumpitum…tump!  tumpitum…tump!  It drew her irresistibly。  She
  fought and struggled against the fascinating sound; but it continued
  to draw her on。  Suddenly from round a corner came the squat man;
  his hair a la Fuzzy…Wuzzy。  He caught her savagely by the shoulder
  and dragged her toward a fire of blazing diamonds。  On the other
  side of that fire was a blonde young woman with a tiara of rubies
  on her head。  〃Save me!  I am Olga; Olga!〃  Kitty struggled
  fiercely and awoke。
  The light was on。  At the side of her bed were two men。  One of
  them was holding her bare shoulder and digging his fingers into it
  cruelly。  They looked like coal heavers。
  〃We do not wish to harm you; and won't if you're sensible。  Where
  did they take the man you brought
  CHAPTER XI
  Kitty did not wrench herself loose at once。  She wasn't quite sure
  that this was not a continuance of her nightmare。  She knew that
  nightmares had a way of breaking off in the middle of things; of
  never arriving anywhere。  The room looked natural enough and the
  pain in her shoulder seemed real enough; but one never could tell。
  She decided to wait for the next episode。
  〃Answer!〃 cried the spokesman of the two; twisting Kitty's shoulder。
  〃Where did they take him?〃
  Awake!  Kitty wrenched her shoulder away and swept the bedclothes
  up to her chin。  She was thoroughly frightened; but her brain was
  clear。  The spark of self…preservation flew hither and about in
  search of expediencies; temporizations。  She must come through this
  somehow with the vantage on her side。  She could not possibly betray
  that poor young man; for that would entail the betrayal of Cutty
  also。  She saw but one avenue; the telephone; and these two men
  were on the wrong side of the bed; between her and the door。
  〃What do you want?〃  Her throat was so dry she wondered whether
  the words were projected far enough for them to hear。
  〃We want the address of the wounded man you brought into this
  apartment。〃
  〃They took him to a hospital。〃
  〃He was taken away from there。〃
  〃He was?〃
  〃Yes; he was。  You may not know where; but you will know the address
  of the man who tricked us; and that will be sufficient。〃
  〃The army surgeon?  He was called in by chance。  I don't know where
  he lives。〃
  〃The man in the dress suit。〃
  〃He was with the surgeon。〃
  〃He came first。  Come; we have no time to waste。  We don't want to
  hurt you; and we hope you will not force us。
  〃Will you step out of the room while I dress?〃
  〃No。  Tell us where the man lives; and you can have the whole
  apartment to yourself。〃
  〃You speak English very well。〃
  〃Enough!  Do you want us to bundle you up in the bedclothes and
  carry you off?  It will not be a pleasant experience for a pretty
  young woman like yourself。  Something happened to the man you knew
  as Gregory。  Will that make you understand?〃
  〃You know what abduction means?〃
  〃Your police will not catch us。〃
  〃But I might give you the wrong address。〃
  〃Try it and see what happens。  Young lady; this is a bad affair
  for a woman to be mixed up in。  Be sensible。  We are in a hurry。〃
  〃Well; you seem to have acquired at least one American habit!〃 said
  a gruff voice from the bedroom doorway。  〃Raise your hands quickly;
  and don't turn;〃 went on the gruff voice。  〃If I shoot it will