cw.blackalibi-第36部分

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　　With　one　accord　they　fled　swiftly　down　the　side　of　the　long；　heartlessly　empty　road；　again　one　behind　the　other。　The　moment　they　did；　the　rustling　resumed　again　behind　them；　quickened　in　turn　now。　It　was　governed　by　whatever　they　did；　that　was　easy　to　see。　It　was　the　pursuer；　and　they　were　its　prey。　It　became　a　crashing　at　times；　plainly　audible　above　their　slapping　footfalls　and　hot；　frightened　breaths。　A　succession　of　lopes　that　cleared　the　ground　and　burst　head。　long　through　the　impeding　foliage　at　each　impetus。
　　〃Scream；〃　Sally　panted。　〃Maybe　someone　will　hear　us！〃
　　Marjorie　hadn't　waited　to　be　told。　〃Help！〃　she　keened　dismally；　〃Help！〃　But　she　was　already　too　out　of　breath　from　their　long　run　to　be　able　to　emit　more　than　a　thin；　disjointed　bleat。
　　The　rustling　and　crashing　were　changing　direction　now；　drawing　slowly　but　surely　in　toward　them；　ing　diagonally　at　them　instead　of　merely　keeping　parallel。　There　were　many　places　where　the　coverage　between　was　so　thin　they　might　have　been　able　to　glimpse　who　or　what　it　was；　but　that　would　have　meant　slowing　to　turn　their　heads；　and　they　were　both　too　frightened　and　too　intent　on　getting　away。　Or　perhaps　they　realized　instinctively　that　the　sight　of　whatever　it　was　might　so　add　to　their　terror　as　to　rob　them　of　all　further　use　of　their　limbs　altogether。
　　Marjorie　was　the　better　runner　of　the　two。　She　was　taller　and　longer…waisted。　Twice　she　caught　herself　pulling　slowly　away　from　the　other　girl；　without　meaning　to；　first　by　a　five…yard　lead；　then　by　ten；　then　by　more。　Twice　she　stopped；　waited　for　the　gap　to　close；　tried　to　pull　her　along　with　her　by　the　hand。　Sally　evaded　the　offered　link；　perhaps　afraid　it　would　hamper　both　of　them　alike。　〃I'm　all　right；〃　she　heaved　valorously。　〃Just　keep　going…！〃
　　They　were　both　staggering　now　from　exhaustion；　wavering；　ready　to　fall。　And　the　road　never　seemed　to　end；　help　never　seemed　to　e；　the　horror　behind　them　never　seemed　to　tire。
　　She　was　aware　of　Sally　beginning　to　drop　behind　again。　Her　shadow；　which　had　been　bobbing　over　Marjorie's　own　shoulder　until　now；　in　the　moonlit　gaps；　fell　short　somewhere　behind　her；　she　couldn't　see　it　any　more。　The　sound　of　her　harried　breathing　was　no　longer　as　distinct　behind　her　either。　But　she　couldn't　go　on　herself　any　more；　Marjorie。　There　was　a　knife　in　her　side；　and　she　found　herself　finally　spent。　〃I　can't　keep　up；〃　she　coughed。　〃I've　got　to　fall　down　here。　You　go　on…〃
　　She　swung　around　to　let　her　friend　go　by；　stood　there　swaying　and　weaving　dizzily　about　in　the　road；　like　a　drunk；　from　the　long　run。
　　The　road　was　empty　behind　her；　in　moonlight　and　shadow；　back　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach。　Sally　wasn't　on　it　any　more。　There　was　only　silence；　on　it　and　in　the　thickets　that　bordered　it。　Silence　and　moonlight　and　shadow。
　　No；　not　quite　empty　either。　At　the　roadside；　peering　out　between　the　bushes；　lay　a　wisp　of　something　on　the　ground；　back　twenty　or　thirty　yards　from　her。　The　edge　of　a　dress。　A　corner　of　the　bottom　of　a　garment；　inert　on　the　ground。
　　Even　as　she　looked；　it　was　slowly　withdrawn；　this　overlooked　flounce；　slowly　dragged　in　from　sight；　in　a　way　that　showed　its　wearer's　volition　was　no　longer　involved。　A　final　whisk；　and　it　had　vanished。
　　Not　a　sound；　not　a　cry；　not　a　whisper。
　　She　had　never　fainted　before。　Her　senses　were　probably　overcharged　from　the　run；　bringing　on　vertigo。　She　knew　she　wanted　to　get　back　there；　to　help　her　friend。　Instead；　somehow；　she　found　herself　flat　on　the　ground；　without　any　sensation　of　having　fallen　or　of　striking　herself　against　it。　Her　eyes　seemed　to　remain　open；　too。　But　all　she　could　see　was　a　pattern　of　spheres　or　disks　of　all　sizes；　big　and　medium　and　small；　rising　slowly　before　them　in　straight　lines；　like　the　bubbles　in　champagne。
　　A　quarter　of　an　hour　later　the　coachman；　returning　belatedly　for　them　with　his　curbed　horse；　found　her　straying　dazedly　along　the　roadside；　near　the　place　where　he　had　left　them。　There　were　flecks　of　blood　on　her　dress；　it　was　tattered　from　brambles；　her　hair　was　straggling　loosely　down　her　shoulders；　and　she　was　holding　a　hand　pressed　distractedly　crosswise　to　her　forehead。　She　even　made　to　pass　him　by；　as　if　she　didn't　recognize　the　meaning　of　the　carriage　when　she　saw　it。
　　He　had　to　jump　down　beside　her　and　take　her　by　the　arm　to　stop　her。　〃　Seсorita；　que　le　paso？　〃　he　cried　dismayedly。
　　〃Take　me　to　the　police；〃　she　whispered；　in　an　oddly　quiet　manner。　〃My　friend's　lying　in　there；　torn　to　pieces。〃
　　
　　
　　Robles　said　on　the　telephone：　〃It　would　be　easier　if　we　had　someone　down　here　who　speaks　English。　There　is　a　police　interpreter　somewhere；　but　I　cannot　locate　him。　We　have　been　giving　her　restoratives　in　the　meantime　and　treating　her　for　shock…〃
　　Manning　was　at　the　andancia　within　ten　minutes。
　　The　girl　was　sitting　there　in　Robles'　office。　She　was　obviously　not　normal　yet；　he　could　tell　that　at　sight。　Yet　she　was　not　weeping　nor　even　noticeably　nervous　any　longer。　She　seemed；　continually；　to　be　lost　in　thought。　A　strange　icy　calm　seemed　to　have　descended　on　her。　She　had　a　policeman's　uniform　coat　thrown　over　her　shoulders　like　a　cape；　to　hide　the　blood　spats　and　rents　on　the　upper　part　of　her　dress。　Her　unfastened　hair；　without　being　rebed；　had　been　pushed　back　behind　her　shoulders。　It　made　her　seem　about　sixteen。　There　was　no　other　woman　with　her；　the　municipal　police　department　not　yet　having　any　policewomen　attached　to　its　staff。
　　His　first　thought　was　anyone's　first　thought　at　sight　of　Marjorie　King：　what　a　beautiful　person　she　was。　But　then　he　didn't　think　any　further　of　it　after　that　once…for　the　present。　He　hadn't　gone　there；　naturally；　to　admire　feminine　beauty。
　　They　weren't　introduced。　He　just　asked　her　a　tactful　question　in　English；　and　that　elicited　the　story。　Then　he　repeated　it　in　his　fluent；　if　somewhat　raffish　and　ungrammatical；　Spanish　for　Robles；　and　it　was　taken　down　stenographically。　Even　the　repetition　of　it　to　him；　he　noticed；　seemed　unable　to　alter　the　numbness　of　mind　that　gripped　her。　It　was　as　though　she　were　speaking　by　rote；　without　the　words　having　any　meaning　to　her。　It　reminded　him　of　cases　of　shell　shock　he　had　heard　of；　where　the　effects　were　delayed　from　twenty…four　to　forty…eight　hours。
　　Robles　and　his　camarilla　of　specialists　were　now　ready　to　repair　to　the　scene；　which　had　naturally　been　already　under　police　supervision　long　ahead　of　this；　awaiting　his　arrival。
　　〃It　will　not　be　necessary…〃　he　started　to　assure　the　girl　through　Manning；　but　to　everyone's　surprise　she　showed　a　wish　to　go　with　them。
　　〃It　can't　do　anything　more　to　me　than　it　has　already；〃　she　said；　looking　up　at　Manning。
　　He　knew　that　she　was　addressing　him　and　the　rest　of　them　without　really　seeing　their　faces；　without　differentiating　among　them　as　individuals　at　all。
　　〃I　don't　want　to　go　back　to　that　room　and　be　alone　there。　Not　just　yet　anyway。　I　can　sit　in　the　car；　without　getting　out。〃
　　In　the　end；　because　as　she　had　pointed　out　she　was　no　worse　off　in　one　place　than　in　another；　they　allowed　her　to　acpany　them　back。　She　sat　in　the　rear；　between　Manning　and　Robles。　The　man　that　she　had　displaced　rode　outside；　clinging　to　the　top　of　the　door　frame。
　　The　drive　out　to　the　Bosque　was　a　grim　and　depressing　one。　They　all　felt　heavy　and　sick　and　frustrated；　faces　broodingly　downcast。　Robles　didn't　even　have　a　stomach　for　doing　very　much　crowing　to　Manning　about　the　error　in　the　latter's　whole　thesis　that　this　seemed　to　confirm　once　and　for　all；　justified　as　he　would　have　been　in　doing　so。
　　〃So　I　was　right；　you　see；〃　was　all　he　said；　in　a　curiously　listless　undertone　across　Marjorie's　profile。　〃We've　been　holding　Cardozo；　and　it's　hap。　pened　again　right　while　he's　in　custody。　I'll　have　to　order　his　release　at　once。〃
　　〃I　made　no　direct　accusation　against　him；　if　you　remember；〃　the　American　contented　himself　with　remarking。　〃But　the　fact　that　it's　not　Cardozo　doesn't　necessarily　mean　that　it's　not　a　m…〃
　　He　refrained　from　finishing　it。　This　was　no　time　to　wrangle　over　points　of　view；　in　the　presence　of　this　girl's　livid　grief。
　　〃Are　you　sure　you're　all　right？〃　he　asked　her　solicitously；　as　they　swung