Bill for the Use of a Body Read Online Free PDF

bookcase and a writing desk. As he stumbled into it he saw that criss-crossing the ceiling there hung several paper chains, and that on a square table in the centre stood a group of jugs, glasses, dishes and open boxes of such items as preserved fruit and chocolates. The decorations brought home to him again with a sudden pang that this, of all days, was Christmas Day. It seemed probable that he was in the nurses’ off-duty room and that the goodies, left only partly arranged on the table, had been hastily abandoned by someone preparing a Christmas spread for them.
    He had not eaten for many hours, so he grabbed up some biscuits. As he munched them he decided that to remain there could only postpone his capture and death, for it seemed certain that the drunken Japanese would break into every room in the building in search of other women to violate. Above him, along the middle of the ceiling, ran a wide, two-sided skylight, evidently to give the room more air during the great heat in summer. It had curtains to keep out the sun, but it was now shut and these were only partly drawn. From the skylight his mind flashed to the roof. There was at least a chance that the Japs would not search it, so he would be safer up there.
    Seizing a jug of lemonade, he gulped down half its contents, then crammed his pockets full of biscuits andsugared almonds. Within three minutes he was back at the window. He had climbed out and was already a few steps up the fire escape when he caught the sound behind him of the door of the room being flung open and running feet. With his heart pounding he quickly tiptoed the rest of the way up to the roof, praying that his legs had not been seen by the Japs who had burst into the room.
    Once on the roof he remained standing there for a few moments, from fear that if he advanced the tread of his heavy boots on the lead walkway would attract the attention of the men below. As he had noticed some bottles of port and sherry on a side table, he thought it probable that they would not leave the room until they had drunk them. To make certain that they were still there, he got down on his knees and crawled forward a few feet so that he could look down into the room through one of the panes of the skylight over which the curtain had not been drawn. He saw then that it was not the Japs who had burst in but a V.A.D., and she was dragging the writing desk across the door with the evident intention of barricading herself in.
    Kneeling there by the skylight he found that it was not, as he had supposed, completely shut, so he lifted one of the sections and called down to her: ‘Hi, there!’
    With a start she turned and looked up at him. Her uniform was bloodstained, her cap awry and her features distorted by frantic terror. Yet at the first glance he realised that she was a lovely young creature. The wisps of hair that had escaped from beneath her cap were pale gold, her eyes a bright blue, her features regular and her flushed face was the colour of milk and roses. Giving a gasp, she shouted up to him:
    â€˜Oh, save me; save me! Those fiends downstairs are raping all the women. I won’t be raped! I won’t! Come down and help me make a barricade.’
    Julian gave a quick shake of his head, but before he could speak she hurried on hysterically. ‘You must. Oh,for God’s sake. I’m not strong enough to do this alone. I won’t be raped. I’m a virgin. I’d sooner die first.’
    â€˜Don’t be a fool,’ Julian shouted back. ‘No barricade we could make will keep those devils out. You’ll stand a better chance if you come up here.’
    At that moment the door handle rattled, then there came loud shouts from outside and the sound of heavy blows on the door. The girl’s terrified eyes turned towards it, then up to Julian. ‘They’re here!’ she gasped. ‘But I won’t let them get me. Shoot me! Shoot me while there’s still time.