Galaxy Science Fiction Super Pack #2. Edgar Pangborn
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destruction, then.”
Franklin gave him a suspicious glance. “Yes, but why do you ask? You have found one, haven’t you?”
“Yes, sir,” he admitted.
A moan came from the doorway. Norris looked up to see his wife’s white face staring at him in horror, just before she turned and fled into the house. Franklin’s bony head lifted.
“I see,” he said. “We have a fixation on our deviant. Very well, Norris, I’ll take care of it myself. Where is it?”
“In the house, sir. My wife’s bedroom.”
“Get it.”
*
Norris went glumly in the house. The bedroom door was locked.
“Honey,” he called softly. There was no answer. He knocked gently.
A key turned in the lock, and his wife stood facing him. Her eyes were weeping ice.
“Stay back!” she said. He could see Peony behind her, sitting in the center of the floor and looking mystified.
Then he saw his own service revolver in her trembling hand.
“Look, honey—it’s me.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not you. It’s a man that wants to kill a little girl. Stay back.”
“You’d shoot, wouldn’t you?” he asked softly.
“Try to come in and find out,” she invited.
“Let me have Peony.”
She laughed, her eyes bright with hate. “I wonder where Terry went. I guess he died. Or adapted. I guess I’m a widow now. Stay back, Mister, or I’ll kill you.”
Norris smiled. “Okay, I’ll stay back. But the gun isn’t loaded.”
She tried to slam the door; he caught it with his foot. She struck at him with the pistol, but he dragged it out of her hand. He pushed her aside and held her against the wall while she clawed at his arm.
“Stop it!” he said. “Nothing will happen to Peony, I promise you!” He glanced back at the child-thing, who had begun to cry.
Anne subsided a little, staring at him angrily.
“There’s no other way out, honey. Just trust me. She’ll be all right.”
Breathing quickly, Anne stood aside and watched him. “Okay, Terry. But if you’re lying—tell me, is it murder to kill a man to protect a child?”
Norris lifted Peony in his arms. Her wailing ceased, but her tail switched nervously.
“In whose law book?” he asked his wife. “I was wondering the same thing.” Norris started toward the door. “By the way—find my instruments while I’m outside, will you?”
“The dissecting instruments?” she gasped. “If you intend—”
“Let’s call them surgical instruments, shall we? And get them sterilized.”
He went on outside, carrying the child. Franklin was waiting for him in the kennel doorway.
“Was that Mrs. Norris I heard screaming?”
Norris nodded. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t stomach it so well.” He let his eyes rest unhappily on the top of Peony’s head.
Franklin grinned at her and took a bit of candy out of his pocket. She refused it and snuggled closer to Norris.
“When can I go home?” she piped. “I want Daddy.”
Franklin straightened, watching her with amusement. “You’re going home in a few minutes, little newt. Just a few minutes.”
They went into the kennels together, and Franklin headed straight for the third room. He seemed to be enjoying the situation. Norris hating him silently, stopped at a workbench and pulled on a pair of gloves. Then he called after Franklin.
“Chief, since you’re in there, check the outlet pressure while I turn on the main line, will you?”
Franklin nodded assent. He stood outside the gas-chamber, watching the dials on the door. Norris could see his back while he twisted the main-line valve.
“Pressure’s up!” Franklin called.
“Okay. Leave the hatch ajar so it won’t lock, and crack the intake valves. Read it again.”
“Got a mask for me?”
Norris laughed. “If you’re scared, there’s one on the shelf. But just open the hatch, take a reading, and close it. There’s no danger.”
Franklin frowned at him and cracked the intakes. Norris quietly closed the main valve again.
“Drops to zero!” Franklin called.
“Leave it open, then. Smell anything?”
“No. I’m turning it off, Norris.” He twisted the intakes.
Simultaneously, Norris opened the main line.
“Pressure’s up again!”
Norris dropped his wrench and walked back to the chamber, leaving Peony perched on the workbench.
“Trouble with the intakes,” he said gruffly. “It’s happened before. Mind getting your hands dirty with me, Chief?”
Franklin frowned irritably. “Let’s hurry this up, Norris. I’ve got five territories to visit.”
“Okay, but we’d better put on our masks.” He climbed a metal ladder to the top of the chamber, leaned over to inspect the intakes. On his way down, he shouldered a light-bulb over the door, shattering it. Franklin cursed and stepped back, brushing glass fragments from his head and shoulders.
“Good thing the light was off,” he snapped.
Norris handed him the gas-mask and put on his own. “The main switch is off,” he said. He opened the intakes again. This time the dials fell to normal open-line pressure. “Well, look—it’s okay,” he called through the mask. “You sure it was zero before?”
“Of course I’m sure!” came the muffled reply.
“Leave it on for a minute. We’ll see. I’ll go get the newt. Don’t let the door close, sir. It’ll start the automatics and we can’t get it open for half an hour.”
“I know, Norris. Hurry up.”
Norris left him standing just outside the chamber, propping the door open with his foot. A faint wind was coming through the opening. It should reach an explosive mixture quickly with the hatch ajar.
He stepped into the next room, waited a moment, and jerked the switch. The roar was deafening as the exposed tungsten filament flared and detonated the escaping anesthetic vapor. Norris went to cut off the main line. Peony was crying plaintively. He moved to the door and glanced at the smouldering remains of Franklin.
*
Feeling no emotion whatever, Norris left the kennels, carrying the sobbing child under one arm. His wife stared at him without understanding.
“Here, hold Peony while I call the police,” he said.
“Police? What’s happened?”
He dialed quickly. “Chief Miler? This is Norris. Get over here quick. My gas chamber exploded—killed Chief Agent Franklin. Man, it’s awful! Hurry.”
He hung up and went back to the kennels. He selected a normal Bermuda-K-99 and coldly killed it with a wrench. “You’ll serve for a deviant,” he said, and left it lying in the middle of the floor.
Then he went back to the house, mixed a sleeping capsule in a glass of water, and forced Peony to drink it.