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."He leaned forward slightly.Remo heard a faint ping, a sickening, familiar sound."Move!" he shouted.But it was too late.The drink flew out of Esmeralda's hand as the bottom cushion of the settee sprang out, thrusting her like a rocket toward the sheet glass wall.Her head broke through the glass, and her body followed, flying, out into the empty air.She screamed, a long wail that cascaded downward and died long before the faint thud of her body striking the ground sounded.Page 80ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlArnold finished his drink calmly."She never was a part of the plan, not really," he said, his eyes glistening with pleasure as he spoke to Remo."She was far too stupid.But rich.Her family's fortune has helped both my father and me enormously.Cheerio, Esmeralda." He tossed his glass out the broken window after her, then ran across the room past the archway leading to the closet."Oh, no you don't," Remo said, lunging after him.He heard the click.He knew that something else was coming, a knife, a bullet, maybe, but he had expected it in the corridor ahead, in one of Arnold's peculiar passageways.When the midst shot out of the archway itself, covering Remo with fine droplets, he was more annoyed at himself for not seeing it coming than bothered by any discomfort it caused.It was, after all, only a fine liquid spray that lightly touched his skin and clothing.It had no odor.It was not a drug of any sort Remo could identify.Yet Arnold stood only a few feet away from him, backing away slowly, and Remo couldn't catch him.With each millisecond he felt himself hardening into stone, unable to move even a muscle of his face."A plastic polymer," Arnold explained helpfully.He strolled past Remo, poking him gently on his arm."Very effective, I'd say.I never tried it before on a human, but it seems to have done the job nicely.You're as immobile as Lot's wife.Excuse me."He picked up the decanter of brandy, poured himself another glass, and brushed past Remo again into the corridor, where he stood beside the telephone with its red button.He scrutinized the human statue standing beside him."You'll suffocate, you know.But for all that, you'll have to die twice." He sipped at his drink."Frankly, I'm surprised you're still alive.But then you may not be.The polymer seals the eyes open.The hamsters and monkeys I've experimented with remained quite lifelike long after death.A real boon for taxidermy."He opened the closet door and removed the skeleton from it.He took it to the far end of the living room and arranged it beside the broken glass wall."Curious?" He laughed."Very well.On the off chance that you're still alive, I'll tell you what I'm doing.The great drawback of being a criminal genius is that one has so little opportunity to talk of one's achievements."He looked at the skeleton lovingly for a moment, then took a box of matches from one of the mahogany tables and set fire to the draperies."This," he said, gesturing to the skeleton, "is myself.The dental work matches mine exactly.When the authorities come to investigate the fire, they will find three bodies: poor Esmeralda, who leaped to her death rather than subject herself to the flames, her grief-stricken stepson, who perished while contemplating the terrible fate of his beloved "Mater," and a stranger, perhaps a visitor to the house, perhaps the arsonist himself."The flames rose higher.The precious paintings on the walls curled and buckled.Arnold moved away from the heat, past Remo into the corridor."No one will notice the flowers.They are an unknown species.They, with the beans, are far enough below to escape damage from the fire.And my underground laboratory, designed against every conceivable natural disaster, will remain hidden.Only Esmeralda's house and its three occupants will vanish from the Page 81ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlearth." He smiled."There's more.I've thought of everything."His eyes glowed as he told of his plans."After a decent interval, there will be a buyer for the property.No, not me, but another whom I trust.Someone, if that is possible, nearly as intelligent as myself.This person will rebuild this house.The crops will be harvested as usual, business will continue, and I shall return, nameless and free."He loosened his tie."Well, there's no point in telling you any more.I'm sure you've gone to your reward by now, and the heat, I must say, is becoming oppressive [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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."He leaned forward slightly.Remo heard a faint ping, a sickening, familiar sound."Move!" he shouted.But it was too late.The drink flew out of Esmeralda's hand as the bottom cushion of the settee sprang out, thrusting her like a rocket toward the sheet glass wall.Her head broke through the glass, and her body followed, flying, out into the empty air.She screamed, a long wail that cascaded downward and died long before the faint thud of her body striking the ground sounded.Page 80ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlArnold finished his drink calmly."She never was a part of the plan, not really," he said, his eyes glistening with pleasure as he spoke to Remo."She was far too stupid.But rich.Her family's fortune has helped both my father and me enormously.Cheerio, Esmeralda." He tossed his glass out the broken window after her, then ran across the room past the archway leading to the closet."Oh, no you don't," Remo said, lunging after him.He heard the click.He knew that something else was coming, a knife, a bullet, maybe, but he had expected it in the corridor ahead, in one of Arnold's peculiar passageways.When the midst shot out of the archway itself, covering Remo with fine droplets, he was more annoyed at himself for not seeing it coming than bothered by any discomfort it caused.It was, after all, only a fine liquid spray that lightly touched his skin and clothing.It had no odor.It was not a drug of any sort Remo could identify.Yet Arnold stood only a few feet away from him, backing away slowly, and Remo couldn't catch him.With each millisecond he felt himself hardening into stone, unable to move even a muscle of his face."A plastic polymer," Arnold explained helpfully.He strolled past Remo, poking him gently on his arm."Very effective, I'd say.I never tried it before on a human, but it seems to have done the job nicely.You're as immobile as Lot's wife.Excuse me."He picked up the decanter of brandy, poured himself another glass, and brushed past Remo again into the corridor, where he stood beside the telephone with its red button.He scrutinized the human statue standing beside him."You'll suffocate, you know.But for all that, you'll have to die twice." He sipped at his drink."Frankly, I'm surprised you're still alive.But then you may not be.The polymer seals the eyes open.The hamsters and monkeys I've experimented with remained quite lifelike long after death.A real boon for taxidermy."He opened the closet door and removed the skeleton from it.He took it to the far end of the living room and arranged it beside the broken glass wall."Curious?" He laughed."Very well.On the off chance that you're still alive, I'll tell you what I'm doing.The great drawback of being a criminal genius is that one has so little opportunity to talk of one's achievements."He looked at the skeleton lovingly for a moment, then took a box of matches from one of the mahogany tables and set fire to the draperies."This," he said, gesturing to the skeleton, "is myself.The dental work matches mine exactly.When the authorities come to investigate the fire, they will find three bodies: poor Esmeralda, who leaped to her death rather than subject herself to the flames, her grief-stricken stepson, who perished while contemplating the terrible fate of his beloved "Mater," and a stranger, perhaps a visitor to the house, perhaps the arsonist himself."The flames rose higher.The precious paintings on the walls curled and buckled.Arnold moved away from the heat, past Remo into the corridor."No one will notice the flowers.They are an unknown species.They, with the beans, are far enough below to escape damage from the fire.And my underground laboratory, designed against every conceivable natural disaster, will remain hidden.Only Esmeralda's house and its three occupants will vanish from the Page 81ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlearth." He smiled."There's more.I've thought of everything."His eyes glowed as he told of his plans."After a decent interval, there will be a buyer for the property.No, not me, but another whom I trust.Someone, if that is possible, nearly as intelligent as myself.This person will rebuild this house.The crops will be harvested as usual, business will continue, and I shall return, nameless and free."He loosened his tie."Well, there's no point in telling you any more.I'm sure you've gone to your reward by now, and the heat, I must say, is becoming oppressive [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]