Tom Tiddler's Island, стр. 59

“Come in, Trent,” Northfleet invited. “They’ve sent an embassy. They’ll be with us in a moment. I think we’d better scatter ourselves about the room and not stand in a clump. No use trusting them.”

At the word “embassy” Colin’s heart gave a leap. That implied bargaining of some sort, he assumed; and he would be no party to a bargain which did not include safeguards for the two girls. What there was to bargain about he had no idea, though evidently the gunmen must intend to get something out of Leven. In any case, the coming parley would show where they stood; and an agreement would be better than open hostilities, with the chances evenly poised as they were between the two sides.

“Here are ze zhentlemen from Vester Foe,” Zelensky announced in his most genial tones, as he ushered two strangers into the room.

In the leader Colin recognised the man he had found in the lupin field. Behind him, heralded by a violent sneeze, came a much smaller individual grotesquely attired in one of Colin’s own suits, which hung baggily about him. Colin was conscious of a shock of red hair, a snub nose over a wide mouth with an array of bad teeth, and a pair of small, sherry-coloured eyes which shifted restlessly as their owner’s gaze flickered from point to point. Remembering that Jean had been in the hands of these men, Colin felt an involuntary shudder pass over him. Each was sinister in his own way. The hare-lipped man suggested sluggish brutality; the other had the quick malignancy of an ill-tempered terrier.

“Zere vill be no fonny business,” Zelensky explained, with the air of one bestowing a benediction.

The hare-lipped man nodded and advanced a pace.

“I’m no talker. See?” he began abruptly. “No need for a lotta palaver. Which o’ you’s Leven?”

Leven made a gesture.

“You, eh? Well, we know about you. See? You’ve got the trick of making gold. Right. We’ve come for our share of it. That plain; And we’re gonna have it. Thasso, Hawes?”

“Thasso, Leo,” echoed the red-haired man.

Leven laughed unpleasantly.

“You’re too late, my man. The bird’s flown. I’ve sent away every grain I had. If you don’t believe me, you can search this place from top to bottom. I shan’t mind, because you’d And nothing, not a trace. It’s gone, out of your reach.”

The gunman seemed taken aback but not discouraged.

“You talk too much. See?” he retorted seriously. “If you’ve sent away the stuff, what’s the odds? You can make more. We’re not gonna hurry you. Take your time and make plenty. Thasso, Hawes?”

“Thasso,” confirmed the echo.

Leven made an impatient gesture.

“Do you think it’s likely?” he demanded. “Why should I? Go and make it yourself, if you’re as clever as all that. Besides, if I did it for you once, what’s to hinder you from coming back and blackmailing me again and again?”

“Nothing,” said the gunman, with a grin. “You’ve hit it, mister. You’ve discovered me kind of gold-mine. We’ve discovered you. You’re gonna be our gold-mine after this. See? Thass all there is to it. Thasso, Hawes?”

A convulsive sneeze took the place of the usual reply.

Leven paused to consider for a moment or two.

“Nothing doing,” he said tersely.

The gunman seemed in no way discomposed by the answer.

“Mister,” he began, in the tone of one explaining to a child. “if I held weak cards I’d get peevish with you. I would. Seein’ we hold a straight flush, I’m gonna keep my rag. I can afford to. See? Mebbe you don’t know we’ve got two girls over at the big house. We haven’t done ’em any harm—yet. ‘They’re as pure as the daisy in the dell’, like Harry Lauder sings. One o’ them’s your niece. See? Well, mister, unless you get a gleam o’ reason in the next minute or so, these girls’ll suffer for it—and you can take your oath on that. See?”

Colin made a movement which brought the eye of the gunman round to him. But before he could do anything rash Northfleet spoke out.

“Leave us to talk this over together for a minute or two,” he suggested.

The leader consulted his jackal with a glance; then he turned back to Northfleet.

“I’m gonna give you ten minutes. That do? Right. Then there’s just one thing I’m gonna say to you, mister,”—he swung round to confront Leven—“and that’s straight. You see reason, or when we’re done with the girls we’re gonna come after you; and we’ll handle you in a way to make you wish you was dead, but we’ll screw what we want out o’ you. And you can kiss the Book on that, mister. Thasso, Hawes?”

“Thasso,” the jackal agreed with an air of indescribable relish. “Put you through it, we will. And proper, too.”

Colin saw Zelensky give Leven a look the precise meaning of which he could not fathom. Then the mercenary stood aside to let the gunmen leave the room.

“You komm viz me,” he invited them cordially. “Ve haf a little gossip togezzer to pass ze time w’ile zey make up zeir minds. All goot friendts togezzer, and no ill feelings till ze shooting begins, eh? Zat is ze right spirit, nicht wahr?”

The leader of the gunmen nodded in rather gloomy acquiescence as he passed out. The grotesque acolyte paused in the doorway and threw a mirthless grin to the company.

“Just you think,” he said to Leven with an air of sinister suggestion. “If we have to set about you . . . my word!”

He spat on the floor; then passed out in his turn. They heard a paroxysm of sneezing followed by a muttered oath. Then the footfalls of the party receded down the hall and a door slammed.

Colin turned to Leven.

“Tried to bluff them, and it didn’t come off, you see,” he said contemptuously. Now we’ll talk sense for a change. You’ll have to climb down and do as they wish.”

“No!” Leven answered with a coolness that was more impressive than bluster. “That’s barred,