Case with 4 Clowns Read Online Free PDF Page B

When he rises there is bitterness in his heart which he tries to conceal. He will mark the slate with his anger, and the mark will only be washed away with blood. A woman dropsthrough the air like a falling peregrine and behind her in the air is hate. Two men have watched her like animals, frightened to come out of the shadow of the undergrowth into the light where she stands. Their hands are clenched over daggers. There is death in their eyes. And the circus which is built on these foundations will crumble and fall. I smell blood in the air, and terror which feeds on the heart at night. The cold lights shine over the empty tober and a cold wind blows where once was the circus.”
    â€œPoetic, isn’t she?” said Beef admiringly.
    â€œPoetic nonsense,” I said shortly; “we shan’t get anything out of her.”
    â€œWho’s going to get bumped off?” asked Beef, “that’s what I want to know.”
    The gypsy looked at him blankly.
    â€œIs it a man or a woman?”
    But she had obviously said all that she would say, and simply stared at us with an expressionless face until we got up and left the tent.
    â€œSo that’s your hope of regaining your reputation as a private investigator,” I said bitterly. “The word of a gypsy fortuneteller?”
    â€œI wouldn’t go so far as to say she didn’t know nothing,” said Beef.
    â€œObviously,” I continued, “she knew a great deal. At least, that’s my guess. Personally, I think she’s a very clever woman. The question is, what does this murder prediction actually mean?”
    â€œWhat does it mean?” echoed Beef.
    â€œYes. Why did she tell Albert? There are two possibilities, I suppose. Either she thinks there is going to be an attempted murder—and we won’t worry just now about how she might know that—or else she has a very special reason for trying to make people
think
there’s going to be one.”
    â€œAnd which do you think is the correct one?” asked Beef.
    â€œI don’t know, and what’s more I don’t think it’s very important. It’s quite possible she thinks there is going to be some trouble here. But I don’t see any such possibility myself. I think we’re wasting our time.”
    â€œOh, you do,” said Beef stubbornly. “Well, I’m going to stay on and see into it. If you take my advice you’ll stay on too. Where are you going to get the book from if you go home?” he ended triumphantly.
    â€œMy work has never been that of writing funny stories,” I said tartly, “and that’s about all I’m likely to get here.”
    Beef’s mouth drooped downward in a ludicrous fashion, like a boy just beginning to cry. “All right,” he said dismally, “if that’s the way you feel about it. But I’m going to stay on and see this through. I think …”
    But I never heard what it was he thought, for at that moment there was a commotion outside and looking out we saw a group of people come slowly into view. One of the elephants formed the center of the crowd, walking slowly and steadily forward, taking no apparent notice of the noise. Its trunk was held high in the air wrapped tightly round the struggling figure of Albert.
    â€œLet me down,” he was shouting desperately, but his demand was only greeted by a fresh outburst of laughter from the crowd. Albert’s fists punched uselessly at the thick gray trunk which held securely to his waist and his feet kicked wildly in the air.
    â€œUncle,” he shouted suddenly, as he caught sight of Beef and me hurrying towards him. “Uncle, tell them to make him put me down. I can’t breathe. I want to get down.”
    â€œHere,” said Beef commandingly, “what’s all this about?” But though his voice might have made petty thieves tremble in the little town of Wraxham, where he had been a