Read Online Woman by Richard Matheson - Free Book Online Page A

corrected.
     
         "I know it's the fucking question, what are
you interrupting me for?" Val lashed at him.
     
         "Nothing." Max's
voice was barely audible.
     
         "Well, fuck off then!" Val snarled. Again
he set himself. "To be or not to be," he started again, "that's
the question. Whether it's nobler in your mind to suffer slings and arrows or
take arms against a lot of troubles to end them."
     
         "Jesus," Max
murmured.
     
         "Shut up already!"
Val raged at him.
     
         "Sorry."
     
         "To die," Val
continued, "To sleep. No more. And with some sleep to end the heartaches
and the shocks that flesh has heir to—hair-do-doo-doo."
     
         He broke off, frowning.
"I didn't mean that," he said. "Where the fuck was I? Oh, yeah.
The heartaches and the shocks. It's a consomme devoutly—"
     
         "Consomme?" Liz
asked.
     
         "I meant consummation, damn it," Val said.
"Lemme alone. It's a consummation to be wished devoutly. To die. To sleep.
No more. And with sleep, to die, to sleep."
     
         "You said that, Val," Liz told him.
     
         "Well, Jesus Christ,
it's the same fucking words twice in a row. What kind of shitass writer was
this Shaykser anyway? Where the hell was I?"
     
         Max muttered.
"Dying."
     
         "Screw off." Val
took a deep breath and continued. "To die. Uh. . .to sleep. To weep. To
bleep. Two sheep."
     
         He blinked, starting, a look
of confusion on his face. He stood there mutely.
     
         "Val, are you—?"
Liz started.
     
         "I didn't mean to say
that. Hold it, will ya?" He clenched his teeth and went on. "To
sleep. Perch. . .perch. . . perch— Jesus Christ! What the fuck is that word?"
     
         Liz looked concerned now.
"Val."
     
         "Just shut up!"
Bracing himself, Val swallowed labouredly and forced himself to go on.
"Okay. Maybe to dream. That's better anyway. Fucking Shaykser didn't know
shit about writing for actors. Maybe to sleep. May be to sleep. Aye, there's the rub. . .a dub dub, three men in a tub.
If the tub had been stronger—"

 
         He stopped abruptly, looking
alarmed now. "What the fuck is going on?" he asked.
     
         David looked at him
uneasily, then glanced at Ganine, but she looked as taken back as any of them
were. Barbara's expression made it clear that she thought Val was attempting a
poorly done gag. Liz's look indicated that she was inclined to agree with
Barbara—except that Val looked genuinely upset by what was happening. Max sat
slumped on his chair, wincing slightly.
     
         "Val, come on,"
Liz began.
     
         "Come on, shit!"
he stormed at her. "I didn't say that!"
     
         "Didn't say what?" she asked.
     
         Val's voice overlapped hers.
"Just. . .shut up, will you? Shut up." He forced himself to continue,
his features tight with concentration. "Aye, there's the rub. For in that sleep of death, you have
bad breath—"
     
         He shook himself
spasmodically and started in again before anyone could speak. "For in that
sleep of death, what dreams may come when we have shuffled off to Buffalo.
     
          God
damn it!"
     
         "Forget it, Val, we
have to leave," Liz said.
     
         "No, I won't forget
it!" He was totally enraged now. "Just shut up!"
     
         None of them knew how to
react. Val was obviously rattled and infuriated by it as he set himself to
finish the soliloquy no matter what.
     
         His loss of control mounted
steadily as he spoke. "When we have shuffled off to—this mortal coil must
give us pause, the pause that refreshes— must give us
pause. There's the respect that makes. . .makes. .
.calamity, Howdy Calamity, it's me, Wild Bill."
     
         Val's eyes were wild now,
his expression that of a man struggling against impending madness.
"Calamity of such a. . .such a. . . Damn it! Such a long life, long life, long, long, long, long,