the dark one, and he got mad and slammed me alongside the head so I fell down. I heard a slight murmur of protest from the blonde one. Okay, that was something learned. They took me by the arms and hauled me back to a standing position.
Breathless, and a little dazed by the blow, I looked at Kitty. “Let’s hear it again, doll. Nobody was going to hurt me, remember? Socking the head of a guy just recovering from concussion doesn’t count, huh?”
“Oh, I told you not to do anything—”
“Sweetie,” I said, “considering the painless reception I’m getting outside, I can hardly wait to see what treatments I’m due for inside.” Before she could speak, I looked at the two doctors and said, “We’ve now established clearly that I’m being kept here by force, against my will, right?” A little uneasiness flickered in the man’s pale gray eyes, but the woman’s brown eyes just looked faintly amused by the antics of the laboratory specimen impaled on the pin. Kitty looked thoroughly miserable. There was something I needed to know. Considering that I’d been brought here at gunpoint, it was a ridiculous question to ask, but I asked it anyway: “Okay, if you won’t let me leave, how about letting me make a phone call?”
“I’m sorry, that isn’t possible—”
Dr. Caine’s smooth voice was interrupted by a hoarse question from the woman: “Whom do you want to call, Mr. Madden?”
Acromegaly was the word, I remembered. It gives them that kind of voice in addition to the other deformities. The pituitary gland goes haywire, I believe, but you’d better look it up for yourself if you’re really interested.
“That’s my business,” I said, but I had my answer. Actually, of course, I had no idea whom to call, but Kitty had looked uneasy. Obviously there was somebody I could call and she knew about it. All I had to do was find out the identity and phone number. “What about it?” I asked the lady doctor. “One phone call? It’s mandatory in the States before you’re thrown in jail.”
The gentleman doctor winced. “Mr. Madden, please! This is
not
a jail—”
The woman said, “Never mind, Albert. This man is merely playing games with us. The other patients have seen enough of their new fellow-inmate; now bring him inside and we’ll run him through the rest of the routine for their benefit.” She glanced at the driver. “Oh, Gavin, take Miss Davidson home and stand by. I may want to send for you later this evening.”
“Yes’m,” said Lewis.
“All right, Dugan, Trask, bring him along.”
“Dr. Somerset,” I said.
“What is it now?”
She was a bright woman, but she didn’t understand. I felt obliged to make a final try at explaining it to her. “I’d like to make a point, if it isn’t clear already,” I said. “To me, you’re kidnapers. In my country, kidnaping is a capital offense, and I don’t suppose they smile on it here in Canada.”
“Yes, yes,” she said impatiently, “I’m sure the presiding judge will order us all hanged in a row, like apples on a tree, Mr. Madden. Now come along, please.”
I felt better. It hadn’t been the best move in the world, strategically speaking. It would have been better to keep a low profile, as they say, from the very beginning. However, I’d discharged my obligation to them, all of them. Whatever happened now, my conscience was clear; and I could start lowering the profile inch by inch until they forgot the little glimmer of resistance I’d shown on arrival and considered me absolutely harmless.
The only trouble was, they might be right. I wouldn’t really know how harmless I was, or wasn’t, until the time came.
7
As I was being marched up the steps to the front door by my two-man escort, I was aware of Kitty getting back into the Mercedes. Her troubled face appeared at the window, looking my way pleadingly. It was too bad. I mean, a girl ought to get a big bang out of her betrayals, or why bother? I decided she
Breathless, and a little dazed by the blow, I looked at Kitty. “Let’s hear it again, doll. Nobody was going to hurt me, remember? Socking the head of a guy just recovering from concussion doesn’t count, huh?”
“Oh, I told you not to do anything—”
“Sweetie,” I said, “considering the painless reception I’m getting outside, I can hardly wait to see what treatments I’m due for inside.” Before she could speak, I looked at the two doctors and said, “We’ve now established clearly that I’m being kept here by force, against my will, right?” A little uneasiness flickered in the man’s pale gray eyes, but the woman’s brown eyes just looked faintly amused by the antics of the laboratory specimen impaled on the pin. Kitty looked thoroughly miserable. There was something I needed to know. Considering that I’d been brought here at gunpoint, it was a ridiculous question to ask, but I asked it anyway: “Okay, if you won’t let me leave, how about letting me make a phone call?”
“I’m sorry, that isn’t possible—”
Dr. Caine’s smooth voice was interrupted by a hoarse question from the woman: “Whom do you want to call, Mr. Madden?”
Acromegaly was the word, I remembered. It gives them that kind of voice in addition to the other deformities. The pituitary gland goes haywire, I believe, but you’d better look it up for yourself if you’re really interested.
“That’s my business,” I said, but I had my answer. Actually, of course, I had no idea whom to call, but Kitty had looked uneasy. Obviously there was somebody I could call and she knew about it. All I had to do was find out the identity and phone number. “What about it?” I asked the lady doctor. “One phone call? It’s mandatory in the States before you’re thrown in jail.”
The gentleman doctor winced. “Mr. Madden, please! This is
not
a jail—”
The woman said, “Never mind, Albert. This man is merely playing games with us. The other patients have seen enough of their new fellow-inmate; now bring him inside and we’ll run him through the rest of the routine for their benefit.” She glanced at the driver. “Oh, Gavin, take Miss Davidson home and stand by. I may want to send for you later this evening.”
“Yes’m,” said Lewis.
“All right, Dugan, Trask, bring him along.”
“Dr. Somerset,” I said.
“What is it now?”
She was a bright woman, but she didn’t understand. I felt obliged to make a final try at explaining it to her. “I’d like to make a point, if it isn’t clear already,” I said. “To me, you’re kidnapers. In my country, kidnaping is a capital offense, and I don’t suppose they smile on it here in Canada.”
“Yes, yes,” she said impatiently, “I’m sure the presiding judge will order us all hanged in a row, like apples on a tree, Mr. Madden. Now come along, please.”
I felt better. It hadn’t been the best move in the world, strategically speaking. It would have been better to keep a low profile, as they say, from the very beginning. However, I’d discharged my obligation to them, all of them. Whatever happened now, my conscience was clear; and I could start lowering the profile inch by inch until they forgot the little glimmer of resistance I’d shown on arrival and considered me absolutely harmless.
The only trouble was, they might be right. I wouldn’t really know how harmless I was, or wasn’t, until the time came.
7
As I was being marched up the steps to the front door by my two-man escort, I was aware of Kitty getting back into the Mercedes. Her troubled face appeared at the window, looking my way pleadingly. It was too bad. I mean, a girl ought to get a big bang out of her betrayals, or why bother? I decided she
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