told him that the flesh was not broken.
Again and again the leopard attacked the bars while Oliver struggled to stay out of the way while still holding onto the ladder. Unbelievably, the wrought-iron grillwork over the window began to bend under the aasault. The masonry bolts holding the bars to the wall of the building began to work loose. Brick and mortar dust sifted down into the night.
"Good Christ," Oliver thought, "he's coming through!"
"Come down!" a policeman shouted from below him in the alley.
Oliver looked back over his shoulder and saw that one of them was holding a deer rifle.
"Get out of the way and we'll kill him when he shows at the window," the policeman shouted.
"Like hell you will," Oliver said to himself.
He pulled himself back, directly in front of the window. Most of the glass was gone now, and the bars were bent, so he could see clearly into the room. Against the opposite wall the big cat tensed for another attack.
"It's now or never, my friend," Oliver muttered. He brought the tranquilizer gun into position, took hasty aim, and fired.
The recoil knocked him back on the ladder for a moment, but he quickly regained his handhold and leaned forward to look into the room. He saw the dart embedded in the leopard's flank, and breathed a silent prayer. It was a good placement. Lucky.
The cat did not go down at once. It snarled in rage, spinning in circles as it tried to bite at the dart. Then suddenly it stopped and glared at Oliver.
"Don't fight it, big fella," Oliver said. "Just lie down and take a nice little nap."
The leopard launched itself at the window again, but this time the impact lacked force. The animal's strength was ebbing fast as the powerful tranquilizer spread through its body.
"Easy, boy, easy. Don't hurt yourself."
The cat gazed up at him. As though it understood that further efforts to escape were useless, it took out its fury on the room, ripping the bed to ribbons, splintering the chair and bureau, gouging ragged furrows in the plaster walls. Gradually the cat's rage subsided. It sank into a sitting position. The yellow eyes clouded as the beast looked up at Oliver through the shattered window. It bared its fangs in a last show of defiance, then toppled over and lay panting on its side.
Oliver watched for a moment longer, then clambered down the ladder to where a small crowd waited for him in the alley.
"Did you get him?" asked Sergeant Brant.
"I got him," Oliver said, "but I'm not sure how long that dose is going to keep this one down." He signaled to Alice and Joe. "Let's get him into the cage in a hurry. I want to be sure this baby is secure when he wakes up."
Chapter 6
Irena sat up suddenly in bed, her throat constricted, her heart beating wildly. She was gripped by the terror of not knowing where she was or how she got there. It was several seconds before time and place came into synchronization in her mind.
She was in the old Gallier house in New Orleans, in the bedroom given to her by her brother, Paul. She breathed deeply as the terror slowly drained away.
A soft breeze stirred the curtains over the wide window. Outside, over the iron balcony railing, a heavy tree branch bobbed gently up and down. The open window reminded Irena of her dream, in which something that was not quite human had crouched out there, watching her.
She got out of bed and padded barefoot across the hardwood floor to the window. She held the curtain aside and looked out. There was nothing out there but the empty balcony.
Irena let the curtains fall back into place with an exasperated sigh. What had ahe expected to find, anyway? A bloody footprint or something?
She dismissed the notion and set about unpacking her suitcase. She took out her clothes, a piece at a time, and shook out the travel wrinkles. The smaller things she refolded and placed in the bureau drawers, the larger she hung in the wardrobe chest. When everything was put away to her satisfaction she picked up her little
Again and again the leopard attacked the bars while Oliver struggled to stay out of the way while still holding onto the ladder. Unbelievably, the wrought-iron grillwork over the window began to bend under the aasault. The masonry bolts holding the bars to the wall of the building began to work loose. Brick and mortar dust sifted down into the night.
"Good Christ," Oliver thought, "he's coming through!"
"Come down!" a policeman shouted from below him in the alley.
Oliver looked back over his shoulder and saw that one of them was holding a deer rifle.
"Get out of the way and we'll kill him when he shows at the window," the policeman shouted.
"Like hell you will," Oliver said to himself.
He pulled himself back, directly in front of the window. Most of the glass was gone now, and the bars were bent, so he could see clearly into the room. Against the opposite wall the big cat tensed for another attack.
"It's now or never, my friend," Oliver muttered. He brought the tranquilizer gun into position, took hasty aim, and fired.
The recoil knocked him back on the ladder for a moment, but he quickly regained his handhold and leaned forward to look into the room. He saw the dart embedded in the leopard's flank, and breathed a silent prayer. It was a good placement. Lucky.
The cat did not go down at once. It snarled in rage, spinning in circles as it tried to bite at the dart. Then suddenly it stopped and glared at Oliver.
"Don't fight it, big fella," Oliver said. "Just lie down and take a nice little nap."
The leopard launched itself at the window again, but this time the impact lacked force. The animal's strength was ebbing fast as the powerful tranquilizer spread through its body.
"Easy, boy, easy. Don't hurt yourself."
The cat gazed up at him. As though it understood that further efforts to escape were useless, it took out its fury on the room, ripping the bed to ribbons, splintering the chair and bureau, gouging ragged furrows in the plaster walls. Gradually the cat's rage subsided. It sank into a sitting position. The yellow eyes clouded as the beast looked up at Oliver through the shattered window. It bared its fangs in a last show of defiance, then toppled over and lay panting on its side.
Oliver watched for a moment longer, then clambered down the ladder to where a small crowd waited for him in the alley.
"Did you get him?" asked Sergeant Brant.
"I got him," Oliver said, "but I'm not sure how long that dose is going to keep this one down." He signaled to Alice and Joe. "Let's get him into the cage in a hurry. I want to be sure this baby is secure when he wakes up."
Chapter 6
Irena sat up suddenly in bed, her throat constricted, her heart beating wildly. She was gripped by the terror of not knowing where she was or how she got there. It was several seconds before time and place came into synchronization in her mind.
She was in the old Gallier house in New Orleans, in the bedroom given to her by her brother, Paul. She breathed deeply as the terror slowly drained away.
A soft breeze stirred the curtains over the wide window. Outside, over the iron balcony railing, a heavy tree branch bobbed gently up and down. The open window reminded Irena of her dream, in which something that was not quite human had crouched out there, watching her.
She got out of bed and padded barefoot across the hardwood floor to the window. She held the curtain aside and looked out. There was nothing out there but the empty balcony.
Irena let the curtains fall back into place with an exasperated sigh. What had ahe expected to find, anyway? A bloody footprint or something?
She dismissed the notion and set about unpacking her suitcase. She took out her clothes, a piece at a time, and shook out the travel wrinkles. The smaller things she refolded and placed in the bureau drawers, the larger she hung in the wardrobe chest. When everything was put away to her satisfaction she picked up her little
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