Read Online Batman 1 - Batman by Craig Shaw Gardner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Craig Shaw Gardner
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looked over at the woman who slept beside him in the king-size bed. She was a remarkable woman: witty, intelligent, and very beautiful. Her hair cascaded across the pillow. It seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her eyes closed, mouth open ever so slightly in sleep, she looked very peaceful, even innocent. Sleep brings out the child in all of us, he thought. She looked like a painting by one of the Pre-Raphaelites, even more beautiful in the moonlight than she had been in the glow of the setting sun.
Why did she have to come into his life now? After all his hard work, all his resolve, all his denial?
Maybe, Bruce thought, that was the answer. Maybe this regimen, this goal, this quest he had given himself was simply too much for any one man. Everyone had their needs, after all. As much as you tried to avoid them, they’d come back, one way or another.
And his needs had been answered by Vicki Vale.
The grandfather clock in the hall struck four. He looked at his watch. His watch said four as well. He climbed quietly out of bed.
She was so beautiful.
There were things he had to do.
He stepped to the window and looked out at the moon.
You ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?
Too bad he didn’t have the chance to say those words to Grissom. He had used up all his bullets instead. Ah, well. His life as the Joker had just begun.
The Joker sat in the dark. That way, he didn’t have to look at Grissom’s body, crumpled in a corner. He’d have to get someone to take it away, someone he could trust. That was the problem with being a criminal mastermind. All these niggling little details.
Still, this was a nice office that Grissom had given him—the Boss had taste in some things. And what a great view it had, with the city beneath him—a thousand sparkling lights, stretching to the limits of the window. And overhead, the moon, almost full again, his own, personal night-light.
The Joker sighed in contentment.
“Gotham City. It always brings a smile to my face.”
He glanced at the desk and saw the headline on the Gotham Globe, large enough to be legible in the moonlight: WINGED FREAK TERRORIZES GOTHAM’S GANGLAND!
Nice of Grissom to leave him this newspaper—a little blood-splattered, perhaps, but otherwise quite readable. He picked up the paper and hummed a happy tune.
“Watch it, Batman.” He chuckled merrily. “Wait until they get a load of me.”
Was that man going to sleep forever? And why had he gotten out of bed to sleep on a sofa?
Vicki was almost dressed, and all that Bruce had done was to roll over and mumble something incoherent.
He rolled again as she walked past. One eye struggled to open.
“Bruce,” Vicki said softly. “I’m late, but I’ve a proposition.”
He blinked and sat up. Actually, Vicki thought, he woke up pretty fast.
“I’ll make us lunch tomorrow,” she explained. “I’ll show you some of my photos.” She pulled a brush from her purse and ran it through her hair. “Will you come?”
Bruce stretched and smiled at her for a second before his expression became more doubtful.
“Sure. Oh, no—I—I can’t make it.”
She stopped brushing and looked back at Bruce.
“Oh. Is anything wrong?”
He shook his head sharply, as if to rid it of cobwebs.
“No—I—I’ve got a real important meeting.”
She put her brush away. “Well . . . later in the day?”
“No—I—I’ve got to leave town for a few days.”
Vicki frowned. Each time he answered her, it seemed less certain than the answer before. “Well, when you get back,” she said at last. She closed her purse and managed a smile. This was only a one-night thing, after all.
“Hey,” she said more brightly than before. “I’ve got to get moving. See you.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and walked away.
“Yeah,” Bruce replied quietly. “I’ll see you.”
And then she was out of the room.
Alfred met her at the end of the hall. He opened the front door for her.
“So nice to see
Why did she have to come into his life now? After all his hard work, all his resolve, all his denial?
Maybe, Bruce thought, that was the answer. Maybe this regimen, this goal, this quest he had given himself was simply too much for any one man. Everyone had their needs, after all. As much as you tried to avoid them, they’d come back, one way or another.
And his needs had been answered by Vicki Vale.
The grandfather clock in the hall struck four. He looked at his watch. His watch said four as well. He climbed quietly out of bed.
She was so beautiful.
There were things he had to do.
He stepped to the window and looked out at the moon.
You ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?
Too bad he didn’t have the chance to say those words to Grissom. He had used up all his bullets instead. Ah, well. His life as the Joker had just begun.
The Joker sat in the dark. That way, he didn’t have to look at Grissom’s body, crumpled in a corner. He’d have to get someone to take it away, someone he could trust. That was the problem with being a criminal mastermind. All these niggling little details.
Still, this was a nice office that Grissom had given him—the Boss had taste in some things. And what a great view it had, with the city beneath him—a thousand sparkling lights, stretching to the limits of the window. And overhead, the moon, almost full again, his own, personal night-light.
The Joker sighed in contentment.
“Gotham City. It always brings a smile to my face.”
He glanced at the desk and saw the headline on the Gotham Globe, large enough to be legible in the moonlight: WINGED FREAK TERRORIZES GOTHAM’S GANGLAND!
Nice of Grissom to leave him this newspaper—a little blood-splattered, perhaps, but otherwise quite readable. He picked up the paper and hummed a happy tune.
“Watch it, Batman.” He chuckled merrily. “Wait until they get a load of me.”
Was that man going to sleep forever? And why had he gotten out of bed to sleep on a sofa?
Vicki was almost dressed, and all that Bruce had done was to roll over and mumble something incoherent.
He rolled again as she walked past. One eye struggled to open.
“Bruce,” Vicki said softly. “I’m late, but I’ve a proposition.”
He blinked and sat up. Actually, Vicki thought, he woke up pretty fast.
“I’ll make us lunch tomorrow,” she explained. “I’ll show you some of my photos.” She pulled a brush from her purse and ran it through her hair. “Will you come?”
Bruce stretched and smiled at her for a second before his expression became more doubtful.
“Sure. Oh, no—I—I can’t make it.”
She stopped brushing and looked back at Bruce.
“Oh. Is anything wrong?”
He shook his head sharply, as if to rid it of cobwebs.
“No—I—I’ve got a real important meeting.”
She put her brush away. “Well . . . later in the day?”
“No—I—I’ve got to leave town for a few days.”
Vicki frowned. Each time he answered her, it seemed less certain than the answer before. “Well, when you get back,” she said at last. She closed her purse and managed a smile. This was only a one-night thing, after all.
“Hey,” she said more brightly than before. “I’ve got to get moving. See you.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and walked away.
“Yeah,” Bruce replied quietly. “I’ll see you.”
And then she was out of the room.
Alfred met her at the end of the hall. He opened the front door for her.
“So nice to see
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