The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance Read online

  CHAPTER XXVII

  THE SIEGE OF KEMP'S HOUSE

  Kemp read a strange missive, written in pencil on a greasy sheet ofpaper.

  "You have been amazingly energetic and clever," this letter ran,"though what you stand to gain by it I cannot imagine. You areagainst me. For a whole day you have chased me; you have tried torob me of a night's rest. But I have had food in spite of you, Ihave slept in spite of you, and the game is only beginning. Thegame is only beginning. There is nothing for it, but to start theTerror. This announces the first day of the Terror. Port Burdockis no longer under the Queen, tell your Colonel of Police, andthe rest of them; it is under me--the Terror! This is day one ofyear one of the new epoch--the Epoch of the Invisible Man. I amInvisible Man the First. To begin with the rule will be easy. Thefirst day there will be one execution for the sake of example--aman named Kemp. Death starts for him to-day. He may lock himselfaway, hide himself away, get guards about him, put on armourif he likes--Death, the unseen Death, is coming. Let him takeprecautions; it will impress my people. Death starts from thepillar box by midday. The letter will fall in as the postman comesalong, then off! The game begins. Death starts. Help him not, mypeople, lest Death fall upon you also. To-day Kemp is to die."

  Kemp read this letter twice, "It's no hoax," he said. "That'shis voice! And he means it."

  He turned the folded sheet over and saw on the addressed side of itthe postmark Hintondean, and the prosaic detail "2d. to pay."

  He got up slowly, leaving his lunch unfinished--the letter hadcome by the one o'clock post--and went into his study. He rangfor his housekeeper, and told her to go round the house at once,examine all the fastenings of the windows, and close all theshutters. He closed the shutters of his study himself. From alocked drawer in his bedroom he took a little revolver, examined itcarefully, and put it into the pocket of his lounge jacket. Hewrote a number of brief notes, one to Colonel Adye, gave them tohis servant to take, with explicit instructions as to her way ofleaving the house. "There is no danger," he said, and added amental reservation, "to you." He remained meditative for a spaceafter doing this, and then returned to his cooling lunch.

  He ate with gaps of thought. Finally he struck the table sharply."We will have him!" he said; "and I am the bait. He will come toofar."

  He went up to the belvedere, carefully shutting every door afterhim. "It's a game," he said, "an odd game--but the chances areall for me, Mr. Griffin, in spite of your invisibility. Griffin_contra mundum_ ... with a vengeance."

  He stood at the window staring at the hot hillside. "He must getfood every day--and I don't envy him. Did he really sleep lastnight? Out in the open somewhere--secure from collisions. I wishwe could get some good cold wet weather instead of the heat.

  "He may be watching me now."

  He went close to the window. Something rapped smartly against thebrickwork over the frame, and made him start violently back.

  "I'm getting nervous," said Kemp. But it was five minutes before hewent to the window again. "It must have been a sparrow," he said.

  Presently he heard the front-door bell ringing, and hurrieddownstairs. He unbolted and unlocked the door, examined the chain,put it up, and opened cautiously without showing himself. Afamiliar voice hailed him. It was Adye.

  "Your servant's been assaulted, Kemp," he said round the door.

  "What!" exclaimed Kemp.

  "Had that note of yours taken away from her. He's close about here.Let me in."

  Kemp released the chain, and Adye entered through as narrow anopening as possible. He stood in the hall, looking with infiniterelief at Kemp refastening the door. "Note was snatched out of herhand. Scared her horribly. She's down at the station. Hysterics.He's close here. What was it about?"

  Kemp swore.

  "What a fool I was," said Kemp. "I might have known. It's not anhour's walk from Hintondean. Already?"

  "What's up?" said Adye.

  "Look here!" said Kemp, and led the way into his study. He handedAdye the Invisible Man's letter. Adye read it and whistled softly."And you--?" said Adye.

  "Proposed a trap--like a fool," said Kemp, "and sent my proposalout by a maid servant. To him."

  Adye followed Kemp's profanity.

  "He'll clear out," said Adye.

  "Not he," said Kemp.

  A resounding smash of glass came from upstairs. Adye had a silveryglimpse of a little revolver half out of Kemp's pocket. "It's awindow, upstairs!" said Kemp, and led the way up. There came asecond smash while they were still on the staircase. When theyreached the study they found two of the three windows smashed,half the room littered with splintered glass, and one big flintlying on the writing table. The two men stopped in the doorway,contemplating the wreckage. Kemp swore again, and as he did so thethird window went with a snap like a pistol, hung starred for amoment, and collapsed in jagged, shivering triangles into the room.

  "What's this for?" said Adye.

  "It's a beginning," said Kemp.

  "There's no way of climbing up here?"

  "Not for a cat," said Kemp.

  "No shutters?"

  "Not here. All the downstairs rooms--Hullo!"

  Smash, and then whack of boards hit hard came from downstairs."Confound him!" said Kemp. "That must be--yes--it's one of thebedrooms. He's going to do all the house. But he's a fool. Theshutters are up, and the glass will fall outside. He'll cut hisfeet."

  Another window proclaimed its destruction. The two men stood on thelanding perplexed. "I have it!" said Adye. "Let me have a stick orsomething, and I'll go down to the station and get the bloodhoundsput on. That ought to settle him! They're hard by--not tenminutes--"

  Another window went the way of its fellows.

  "You haven't a revolver?" asked Adye.

  Kemp's hand went to his pocket. Then he hesitated. "I haven'tone--at least to spare."

  "I'll bring it back," said Adye, "you'll be safe here."

  Kemp, ashamed of his momentary lapse from truthfulness, handed himthe weapon.

  "Now for the door," said Adye.

  As they stood hesitating in the hall, they heard one of thefirst-floor bedroom windows crack and clash. Kemp went to the doorand began to slip the bolts as silently as possible. His face was alittle paler than usual. "You must step straight out," said Kemp. Inanother moment Adye was on the doorstep and the bolts were droppingback into the staples. He hesitated for a moment, feeling morecomfortable with his back against the door. Then he marched, uprightand square, down the steps. He crossed the lawn and approached thegate. A little breeze seemed to ripple over the grass. Somethingmoved near him. "Stop a bit," said a Voice, and Adye stopped deadand his hand tightened on the revolver.

  "Well?" said Adye, white and grim, and every nerve tense.

  "Oblige me by going back to the house," said the Voice, as tenseand grim as Adye's.

  "Sorry," said Adye a little hoarsely, and moistened his lips withhis tongue. The Voice was on his left front, he thought. Suppose hewere to take his luck with a shot?

  "What are you going for?" said the Voice, and there was a quickmovement of the two, and a flash of sunlight from the open lip ofAdye's pocket.

  Adye desisted and thought. "Where I go," he said slowly, "is my ownbusiness." The words were still on his lips, when an arm came roundhis neck, his back felt a knee, and he was sprawling backward. Hedrew clumsily and fired absurdly, and in another moment he wasstruck in the mouth and the revolver wrested from his grip. He madea vain clutch at a slippery limb, tried to struggle up and fellback. "Damn!" said Adye. The Voice laughed. "I'd kill you now if itwasn't the waste of a bullet," it said. He saw the revolver inmid-air, six feet off, covering him.

  "Well?" said Adye, sitting up.

  "Get up," said the Voice.

  Adye stood up.

  "Attention," said the Voice, and then fiercely, "Don't try anygames. Remember I can see your face if you can't see mine. You'vegot to go back to the house."

  "He won't let me in," said Adye.

  "T
hat's a pity," said the Invisible Man. "I've got no quarrel withyou."

  Adye moistened his lips again. He glanced away from the barrel ofthe revolver and saw the sea far off very blue and dark under themidday sun, the smooth green down, the white cliff of the Head, andthe multitudinous town, and suddenly he knew that life was verysweet. His eyes came back to this little metal thing hangingbetween heaven and earth, six yards away. "What am I to do?" hesaid sullenly.

  "What am _I_ to do?" asked the Invisible Man. "You will get help. Theonly thing is for you to go back."

  "I will try. If he lets me in will you promise not to rush thedoor?"

  "I've got no quarrel with you," said the Voice.

  Kemp had hurried upstairs after letting Adye out, and now crouchingamong the broken glass and peering cautiously over the edge of thestudy window sill, he saw Adye stand parleying with the Unseen."Why doesn't he fire?" whispered Kemp to himself. Then the revolvermoved a little and the glint of the sunlight flashed in Kemp'seyes. He shaded his eyes and tried to see the source of theblinding beam.

  "Surely!" he said, "Adye has given up the revolver."

  "Promise not to rush the door," Adye was saying. "Don't push awinning game too far. Give a man a chance."

  "You go back to the house. I tell you flatly I will not promiseanything."

  Adye's decision seemed suddenly made. He turned towards the house,walking slowly with his hands behind him. Kemp watched him--puzzled.The revolver vanished, flashed again into sight, vanished again,and became evident on a closer scrutiny as a little dark objectfollowing Adye. Then things happened very quickly. Adye leaptbackwards, swung around, clutched at this little object, missed it,threw up his hands and fell forward on his face, leaving a littlepuff of blue in the air. Kemp did not hear the sound of the shot.Adye writhed, raised himself on one arm, fell forward, and laystill.

  For a space Kemp remained staring at the quiet carelessness ofAdye's attitude. The afternoon was very hot and still, nothingseemed stirring in all the world save a couple of yellow butterflieschasing each other through the shrubbery between the house and theroad gate. Adye lay on the lawn near the gate. The blinds of allthe villas down the hill-road were drawn, but in one little greensummer-house was a white figure, apparently an old man asleep. Kempscrutinised the surroundings of the house for a glimpse of therevolver, but it had vanished. His eyes came back to Adye. The gamewas opening well.

  Then came a ringing and knocking at the front door, that grew atlast tumultuous, but pursuant to Kemp's instructions the servantshad locked themselves into their rooms. This was followed by asilence. Kemp sat listening and then began peering cautiously outof the three windows, one after another. He went to the staircasehead and stood listening uneasily. He armed himself with hisbedroom poker, and went to examine the interior fastenings of theground-floor windows again. Everything was safe and quiet. Hereturned to the belvedere. Adye lay motionless over the edge of thegravel just as he had fallen. Coming along the road by the villaswere the housemaid and two policemen.

  Everything was deadly still. The three people seemed very slow inapproaching. He wondered what his antagonist was doing.

  He started. There was a smash from below. He hesitated and wentdownstairs again. Suddenly the house resounded with heavy blows andthe splintering of wood. He heard a smash and the destructive clangof the iron fastenings of the shutters. He turned the key andopened the kitchen door. As he did so, the shutters, split andsplintering, came flying inward. He stood aghast. The window frame,save for one crossbar, was still intact, but only little teeth ofglass remained in the frame. The shutters had been driven in withan axe, and now the axe was descending in sweeping blows upon thewindow frame and the iron bars defending it. Then suddenly it leaptaside and vanished. He saw the revolver lying on the path outside,and then the little weapon sprang into the air. He dodged back. Therevolver cracked just too late, and a splinter from the edge of theclosing door flashed over his head. He slammed and locked the door,and as he stood outside he heard Griffin shouting and laughing.Then the blows of the axe with its splitting and smashingconsequences, were resumed.

  Kemp stood in the passage trying to think. In a moment theInvisible Man would be in the kitchen. This door would not keep hima moment, and then--

  A ringing came at the front door again. It would be the policemen.He ran into the hall, put up the chain, and drew the bolts. He madethe girl speak before he dropped the chain, and the three peopleblundered into the house in a heap, and Kemp slammed the dooragain.

  "The Invisible Man!" said Kemp. "He has a revolver, with twoshots--left. He's killed Adye. Shot him anyhow. Didn't you see him onthe lawn? He's lying there."

  "Who?" said one of the policemen.

  "Adye," said Kemp.

  "We came in the back way," said the girl.

  "What's that smashing?" asked one of the policemen.

  "He's in the kitchen--or will be. He has found an axe--"

  Suddenly the house was full of the Invisible Man's resoundingblows on the kitchen door. The girl stared towards the kitchen,shuddered, and retreated into the dining-room. Kemp tried toexplain in broken sentences. They heard the kitchen door give.

  "This way," said Kemp, starting into activity, and bundled thepolicemen into the dining-room doorway.

  "Poker," said Kemp, and rushed to the fender. He handed the pokerhe had carried to the policeman and the dining-room one to theother. He suddenly flung himself backward.

  "Whup!" said one policeman, ducked, and caught the axe on his poker.The pistol snapped its penultimate shot and ripped a valuable SidneyCooper. The second policeman brought his poker down on the littleweapon, as one might knock down a wasp, and sent it rattling to thefloor.

  At the first clash the girl screamed, stood screaming for a momentby the fireplace, and then ran to open the shutters--possiblywith an idea of escaping by the shattered window.

  The axe receded into the passage, and fell to a position about twofeet from the ground. They could hear the Invisible Man breathing."Stand away, you two," he said. "I want that man Kemp."

  "We want you," said the first policeman, making a quick stepforward and wiping with his poker at the Voice. The Invisible Manmust have started back, and he blundered into the umbrella stand.

  Then, as the policeman staggered with the swing of the blow he hadaimed, the Invisible Man countered with the axe, the helmet crumpledlike paper, and the blow sent the man spinning to the floor at thehead of the kitchen stairs. But the second policeman, aiming behindthe axe with his poker, hit something soft that snapped. There was asharp exclamation of pain and then the axe fell to the ground. Thepoliceman wiped again at vacancy and hit nothing; he put his foot onthe axe, and struck again. Then he stood, poker clubbed, listeningintent for the slightest movement.

  He heard the dining-room window open, and a quick rush of feetwithin. His companion rolled over and sat up, with the bloodrunning down between his eye and ear. "Where is he?" asked the manon the floor.

  "Don't know. I've hit him. He's standing somewhere in the hall.Unless he's slipped past you. Doctor Kemp--sir."

  Pause.

  "Doctor Kemp," cried the policeman again.

  The second policeman began struggling to his feet. He stood up.Suddenly the faint pad of bare feet on the kitchen stairs could beheard. "Yap!" cried the first policeman, and incontinently flunghis poker. It smashed a little gas bracket.

  He made as if he would pursue the Invisible Man downstairs. Then hethought better of it and stepped into the dining-room.

  "Doctor Kemp--" he began, and stopped short.

  "Doctor Kemp's a hero," he said, as his companion looked over hisshoulder.

  The dining-room window was wide open, and neither housemaid norKemp was to be seen.

  The second policeman's opinion of Kemp was terse and vivid.