Read Online The demolished man by Alfred Bester - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alfred Bester
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see it.
Protective mimicry. That's your trick. You imitate the idiots and trap us at
your leisure. But not me. Never."
"I'm not... your enemy, Ben."
"No," Reich spat. "You're not because you're dead. You've been dead ever since I
came into this orchid coffin. Man With No Face! Can you hear me screaming for
the last time? You're finished forever!"
Reich tore the gun out of his breast pocket. He touched the stud and it opened
like a red steel flower. A faint groan escaped from D'Courtney when he saw the
weapon. He backed away in horror. Reich caught him and held him fast. D'Courtney
twisted in Reich's grasp, his face pleading his eyes glazed and rheumy. Reich
transferred his grasp to the back of D'Courtney's thin neck and wrenched the
head toward him. He had to fire through the open mouth for the trick to work.
At that instant, one of the orchid petals swung open, and a half-dressed girl
burst into the room. In a blaze of surprise, Reich saw the corridor behind her,
a bedroom door standing open at the far end; the girl, nude under a frost silk
gown hastily thrown on, yellow hair flying, dark eyes wide in alarm... A
lightning flash of wild beauty.
"Father!" she screamed. "For God's sake! Father!"
She ran toward D'Courtney. Reich swung quickly between them, never relaxing his
hold on the old man. The girl stopped short, backed away, then darted to the
left around Reich screaming. Reich pivoted and cut viciously at her with the
stiletto. She eluded him but was driven back on the couch. Reich thrust the
point of the stiletto between the old man's teeth and forced his jaws open.
"No!" she cried. "No! For the love of Christ! Father!"
She stumbled around the couch and ran toward her father again. Reich thrust the
gun muzzle into D'Courtney's mouth and pulled the trigger. There was a muffled
explosion and a gout of blood spurted from the back of D'Courtney's head. Reich
let the body drop and leaped for the girl. He caught her while she fought and
screamed.
Reich and the girl were screaming together. Reich shook with galvanic spasms
that forced him to release the girl. The girl fell forward to her knees and
crawled to the body. She moaned in pain as she snatched the gun from the mouth
where it still hung. Then she crouched over the twitching body, silent, fixed,
staring into the waxen face.
Reich gasped for breath and beat his knuckles together painfully. When the
roaring in his ears subsided, he propelled himself toward the girl, trying to
arrange his thoughts and make split second alterations in his plans. He had
never counted on a witness. No one mentioned a daughter. God damn Tate! He would
have to kill the girl. He---
She turned again and shot a terror-stricken glance over her shoulder. Again that
lightning flash of yellow hair, dark eyes, dark brows, wild beauty. She leaped
to her feet, darted out of his sodden grasp, ran to the jewelled door, flung it
open and ran into the anteroom. As the door slowly closed, Reich had a glimpse
of the guards still slumped on the bench and the girl running silently down the
stairs with the gun in her hands... with Demolition in her hands.
Reich started. The clogged blood began pounding through his veins again. He
reached the door in three strides, ran through and tore down the steps to the
picture gallery. It was empty but the door to the overpass was just closing. And
still no sound from her. Still no alarm. How long before she started screaming
the house down?
He raced down the gallery and entered the overpass. It was still pitch dark. He
blundered through, reached the head of the stairs that led down to the music
room and paused again. Still no sound. No alarm.
He went down the steps. The dark silence was terrifying. Why didn't she scream?
Where was she? Reich crossed toward the west arch and knew he was at the edge of
the main hall by the quiet splash of the fountains. Where was the girl? In all
that black silence, where was she? And the
Protective mimicry. That's your trick. You imitate the idiots and trap us at
your leisure. But not me. Never."
"I'm not... your enemy, Ben."
"No," Reich spat. "You're not because you're dead. You've been dead ever since I
came into this orchid coffin. Man With No Face! Can you hear me screaming for
the last time? You're finished forever!"
Reich tore the gun out of his breast pocket. He touched the stud and it opened
like a red steel flower. A faint groan escaped from D'Courtney when he saw the
weapon. He backed away in horror. Reich caught him and held him fast. D'Courtney
twisted in Reich's grasp, his face pleading his eyes glazed and rheumy. Reich
transferred his grasp to the back of D'Courtney's thin neck and wrenched the
head toward him. He had to fire through the open mouth for the trick to work.
At that instant, one of the orchid petals swung open, and a half-dressed girl
burst into the room. In a blaze of surprise, Reich saw the corridor behind her,
a bedroom door standing open at the far end; the girl, nude under a frost silk
gown hastily thrown on, yellow hair flying, dark eyes wide in alarm... A
lightning flash of wild beauty.
"Father!" she screamed. "For God's sake! Father!"
She ran toward D'Courtney. Reich swung quickly between them, never relaxing his
hold on the old man. The girl stopped short, backed away, then darted to the
left around Reich screaming. Reich pivoted and cut viciously at her with the
stiletto. She eluded him but was driven back on the couch. Reich thrust the
point of the stiletto between the old man's teeth and forced his jaws open.
"No!" she cried. "No! For the love of Christ! Father!"
She stumbled around the couch and ran toward her father again. Reich thrust the
gun muzzle into D'Courtney's mouth and pulled the trigger. There was a muffled
explosion and a gout of blood spurted from the back of D'Courtney's head. Reich
let the body drop and leaped for the girl. He caught her while she fought and
screamed.
Reich and the girl were screaming together. Reich shook with galvanic spasms
that forced him to release the girl. The girl fell forward to her knees and
crawled to the body. She moaned in pain as she snatched the gun from the mouth
where it still hung. Then she crouched over the twitching body, silent, fixed,
staring into the waxen face.
Reich gasped for breath and beat his knuckles together painfully. When the
roaring in his ears subsided, he propelled himself toward the girl, trying to
arrange his thoughts and make split second alterations in his plans. He had
never counted on a witness. No one mentioned a daughter. God damn Tate! He would
have to kill the girl. He---
She turned again and shot a terror-stricken glance over her shoulder. Again that
lightning flash of yellow hair, dark eyes, dark brows, wild beauty. She leaped
to her feet, darted out of his sodden grasp, ran to the jewelled door, flung it
open and ran into the anteroom. As the door slowly closed, Reich had a glimpse
of the guards still slumped on the bench and the girl running silently down the
stairs with the gun in her hands... with Demolition in her hands.
Reich started. The clogged blood began pounding through his veins again. He
reached the door in three strides, ran through and tore down the steps to the
picture gallery. It was empty but the door to the overpass was just closing. And
still no sound from her. Still no alarm. How long before she started screaming
the house down?
He raced down the gallery and entered the overpass. It was still pitch dark. He
blundered through, reached the head of the stairs that led down to the music
room and paused again. Still no sound. No alarm.
He went down the steps. The dark silence was terrifying. Why didn't she scream?
Where was she? Reich crossed toward the west arch and knew he was at the edge of
the main hall by the quiet splash of the fountains. Where was the girl? In all
that black silence, where was she? And the
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