michael, brother of jerry-第31节

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Never　was　a　reception…roomful　of　patients　rushed　through　more　expeditiously　than　was　Doctor　Emory's　the　moment　the　door　had　closed　upon　the　two　policemen　who　brought　up　Daughtry's　rear。　　And　before　he　went　to　his　late　lunch；　Doctor　Emory　was　away　in　his　machine　and　down　into　the　Barbary　Coast　to　the　door　of　the　Bowhead　Lodging　House。　　On　the　way；　by　virtue　of　his　political　affiliations；　he　had　been　able　to　pick　up　a　captain　of　detectives。　The　addition　of　the　captain　proved　necessary；　for　the　landlady　put　up　a　stout　argument　against　the　taking　of　the　dog　of　her　lodger。　But　Milliken；　captain　of　detectives；　was　too　well　known　to　her；　and　she　yielded　to　the　law　of　which　he　was　the　symbol　and　of　which　she　was　credulously　ignorant。

As　Michael　started　out　of　the　room　on　the　end　of　a　rope；　a　plaintive　call　of　reminder　came　from　the　window…sill；　where　perched　a　tiny；　snow…white　cockatoo。

〃Cocky；〃　he　called。　　〃Cocky。〃

Walter　Merritt　Emory　glanced　back　and　for　no　more　than　a　moment　hesitated。　　〃We'll　send　for　the　bird　later；〃　he　told　the　landlady；　who；　still　mildly　expostulating　as　she　followed　them　downstairs；　failed　to　notice　that　the　captain　of　the　detectives　had　carelessly　left　the　door　to　Daughtry's　rooms　ajar。


But　Walter　Merritt　Emory　was　not　the　only　base　one　abased　by　desire　of　possession　of　Michael。　　In　a　deep　leather　chair；　his　feet　resting　in　another　deep　leather　chair；　at　the　Indoor　Yacht　Club；　Harry　Del　Mar　yielded　to　the　somniferous　digestion　of　lunch；　which　was　for　him　breakfast　as　well；　and　glanced　through　the　first　of　the　early　editions　of　the　afternoon　papers。　　His　eyes　lighted　on　a　big　headline；　with　a　brief　five　lines　under　it。　　His　feet　were　instantly　drawn　down　off　the　chair　and　under　him　as　he　stood　up　erect　upon　them。　　On　swift　second　thought；　he　sat　down　again；　pressed　the　electric　button；　and；　while　waiting　for　the　club　steward；　reread　the　headline　and　the　brief　five　lines。

In　a　taxi；　and　away；　heading　for　the　Barbary　Coast；　Harry　Del　Mar　saw　visions　that　were　golden。　　They　took　on　the　semblance　of　yellow；　twenty…dollar　gold　pieces；　of　yellow…backed　paper　bills　of　the　government　stamping　of　the　United　States；　of　bank　books；　and　of　rich　coupons　ripe　for　the　clippingand　all　shot　through　the　flashings　of　the　form　of　a　rough…coated　Irish　terrier；　on　a　galaxy　of　brilliantly…lighted　stages；　mouth　open；　nose　upward　to　the　drops；　singing；　ever　singing；　as　no　dog　had　ever　been　known　to　sing　in　the　world　before。


Cocky　himself　was　the　first　to　discover　that　the　door　was　ajar；　and　was　looking　at　it　with　speculation　（if　by　〃speculation〃　may　be　described　the　mental　processes　of　a　bird；　in　some　mysterious　way　absorbing　into　its　consciousness　a　fresh　impression　of　its　environment　and　preparing　to　act；　or　not　act；　according　to　which　way　the　fresh　impression　modifies　its　conduct）。　　Humans　do　this　very　thing；　and　some　of　them　call　it　〃free　will。〃　　Cocky；　staring　at　the　open　door；　was　in　just　the　stage　of　determining　whether　or　not　he　should　more　closely　inspect　that　crack　of　exit　to　the　wider　world；　which　inspection；　in　turn；　would　determine　whether　or　not　he　should　venture　out　through　the　crack；　when　his　eyes　beheld　the　eyes　of　the　second　discoverer　staring　in。

The　eyes　were　bestial；　yellow…green；　the　pupils　dilating　and　narrowing　with　sharp　swiftness　as　they　sought　about　among　the　lights　and　glooms　of　the　room。　　Cocky　knew　danger　at　the　first　glimpsedanger　to　the　uttermost　of　violent　death。　　Yet　Cocky　did　nothing。　　No　panic　stirred　his　heart。　　Motionless；　one　eye　only　turned　upon　the　crack；　he　focused　that　one　eye　upon　the　head　and　eyes　of　the　gaunt　gutter…cat　whose　head　had　erupted　into　the　crack　like　an　apparition。

Alert；　dilating　and　contracting；　as　swift　as　cautious；　and　infinitely　apprehensive；　the　pupils　vertically　slitted　in　jet　into　the　midmost　of　amazing　opals　of　greenish　yellow；　the　eyes　roved　the　room。　　They　alighted　on　Cocky。　　Instantly　the　head　portrayed　that　the　cat　had　stiffened；　crouched；　and　frozen。　　Almost　imperceptibly　the　eyes　settled　into　a　watching　that　was　like　to　the　stony　stare　of　a　sphinx　across　aching　and　eternal　desert　sands。　　The　eyes　were　as　if　they　had　so　stared　for　centuries　and　millenniums。

No　less　frozen　was　Cocky。　　He　drew　no　film　across　his　one　eye　that　showed　his　head　cocked　sideways；　nor　did　the　passion　of　apprehension　that　whelmed　him　manifest　itself　in　the　quiver　of　a　single　feather。　　Both　creatures　were　petrified　into　the　mutual　stare　that　is　of　the　hunter　and　the　hunted；　the　preyer　and　the　prey；　the　meat…eater　and　the　meat。

It　was　a　matter　of　long　minutes；　that　stare；　until　the　head　in　the　doorway；　with　a　slight　turn；　disappeared。　　Could　a　bird　sigh；　Cocky　would　have　sighed。　　But　he　made　no　movement　as　he　listened　to　the　slow；　dragging　steps　of　a　man　go　by　and　fade　away　down　the　hall。

Several　minutes　passed；　and；　just　as　abruptly　the　apparition　reappearednot　alone　the　head　this　time；　but　the　entire　sinuous　form　as　it　glided　into　the　room　and　came　to　rest　in　the　middle　of　the　floor。　　The　eyes　brooded　on　Cocky；　and　the　entire　body　was　still　save　for　the　long　tail；　which　lashed　from　one　side　to　the　other　and　back　again　in　an　abrupt；　angry；　but　monotonous　manner。

Never　removing　its　eyes　from　Cocky；　the　cat　advanced　slowly　until　it　paused　not　six　feet　away。　　Only　the　tail　lashed　back　and　forth；　and　only　the　eyes　gleamed　like　jewels　in　the　full　light　of　the　window　they　faced；　the　vertical　pupils　contracting　to　scarcely　perceptible　black　slits。

And　Cocky；　who　could　not　know　death　with　the　clearness　of　concept　of　a　human；　nevertheless　was　not　altogether　unaware　that　the　end　of　all　things　was　terribly　impending。　　As　he　watched　the　cat　deliberately　crouch　for　the　spring；　Cocky；　gallant　mote　of　life　that　he　was；　betrayed　his　one　and　forgivable　panic。

〃Cocky！　　Cocky！〃　he　called　plaintively　to　the　blind；　insensate　walls。

It　was　his　call　to　all　the　world；　and　all　powers　and　things　and　two…legged　men…creatures；　and　Steward　in　particular；　and　Kwaque；　and　Michael。　　The　burden　of　his　call　was：　　〃It　is　I；　Cocky。　　I　am　very　small　and　very　frail；　and　this　is　a　monster　to　destroy　me；　and　I　love　the　light；　bright　world；　and　I　want　to　live　and　to　continue　to　live　in　the　brightness；　and　I　am　so　very　small；　and　I'm　a　good　little　fellow；　with　a　good　little　heart；　and　I　cannot　battle　with　this　huge；　furry；　hungry　thing　that　is　going　to　devour　me；　and　I　want　help；　help；　help。　　I　am　Cocky。　　Everybody　knows　me。　I　am　Cocky。〃

This；　and　much　more；　was　contained　in　his　two　calls　of：　　〃Cocky！　Cocky！〃

And　there　was　no　answer　from　the　blind　walls；　from　the　hall　outside；　nor　from　all　the　world；　and；　his　moment　of　panic　over；　Cocky　was　his　brave　little　self　again。　　He　sat　motionless　on　the　windowsill；　his　head　cocked　to　the　side；　with　one　unwavering　eye　regarding　on　the　floor；　so　perilously　near；　the　eternal　enemy　of　all　his　kind。

The　human　quality　of　his　voice　had　startled　the　gutter…cat；　causing　her　to　forgo　her　spring　as　she　flattened　down　her　ears　and　bellied　closer　to　the　floor。

And　in　the　silence　that　followed；　a　blue…bottle　fly　buzzed　rowdily　against　an　adjacent　window…pane；　with　occasional　loud　bumps　against　the　glass　tokening　that　he　too　had　his　tragedy；　a　prisoner　pent　by　baffling　transparency　from　the　bright　world　that　blazed　so　immediately　beyond。

Nor　was　the　gutter…cat　without　her　ill　and　hurt　of　life。　　Hunger　hurt　her；　and　hurt　her　meagre　breasts　that　should　have　been　full　for　the　seven　feeble　and　mewing　little　ones；　replicas　of　her　save　that　their　eyes　were　not　yet　open　and　that　they　were　grotesquely　unsteady　on　their　soft；　young　legs。　　She　remembered　them　by　the　hurt　of　her　breasts　and　the　prod　of　her　instinct；　also　she　remembered　them　by　vision；　so　that；　by　the　subtle　chemistry　of　her　brain；　she　could　see　them；　by　way　of　the　broken　screen　across　the　ventilator　hole；　down　into　the　cellar　in　the　dark　rubbish…corner　under　the　stairway；　where　she　had　stolen　her　lair　and　birthed　her　litter。

And　the　vision　of　them；　and　the　hurt　of　her　hunger　stirred　her　afresh；　so　that　she　gathered　her　body　and　measured　the　distance　for　the　leap。　　But　Cocky　was　himself　again。

〃Devil　be　damned！　　Devil　be　damned！〃　he　shouted　his　loudest　and　most　belligerent；　as　he　ruffled　like　a　bravo　at　the　gutter…cat　beneath　him；　so　that　he　sent　her　crouching；　with　startlement；　lower　to　the　floor；　her　ears　wilting　rigidly　flat　and　down；　her　tail　lashing；　her　head　turning　about　the　room　so　that　her　eyes　might　penetrate　its　obscurest　corners　in　quest　of　the　human　whose　voice　had　so　cried　out。

All　of　which　the　gutter…cat　did；　despite　the　positive　evidence　of　her　senses　that　this　human　noise　had　proceeded　from　the　white　bird　itself　on　the　window…sill。

The　bottle　fly　bumped　once　again　against　its　invisible　prison　wall　in　the　silence　that　ensued。　　The　gutter…cat　prepared　and　sprang　with　sudden　decision；　landing　where　Cocky　had　perched　the　fraction　of　a　second　before。　　Cocky　had　darted　to　the　side；　but；　even　as　he　darted；　and　as　the　cat　landed　on　the　sill；　the　cat's　paw　flashed　out　sidewise　and　Cocky　leaped　straight　up；　beating　the　air　with　his　wings　so　little　used　to　flying。　　The　gutter…cat　reared　on　her　hind…legs；　smote　upward　with　one　paw　as　a　child　might　strike　with　its　hat　at　a　butterfl