The Animal Hour Read Online Free PDF Page A

heavens!”
    Henry Goldstein, the firm’s junior partner, was now standing just within the office. He was a short man, but broad-shouldered; well formed in his gray suit. He had a full head of silver hair and chiseled good looks that went with his voice: a look of authority. He was searching around him for an explanation. He turned to Nancy.
    â€œListen, Henry,” she said at once, “would you please get the Fernando Brigade here to curtail the sidesplitting hilarity and let me get to work? We’ve got the community meeting later today and Fernando’s gonna kill me if I don’t have his charts put together before lunchtime.”
    She checked herself, kept herself from babbling on. She waited. Henry Goldstein lowered his brows at her. He cocked his head. “I’m sorry?” he said. Uncertainly, he glanced over his shoulder at Martha.
    â€œShe keeps saying she’s Nancy Kincaid,” said the black woman with a shrug. “She came in here without permission and now she says she’s Nancy and this is her office. She says she won’t leave.”
    Slowly, Goldstein inclined his proud chin, as if to say: Ah, I see; I understand everything. He turned back to Nancy. She caught her breath as she saw the caution, the wariness that had now entered his hazel eyes.
    â€œHenry …?” she started to say.
    â€œJust take it easy, Miss,” Goldstein answered her. He held out his hands toward her.
    To calm me! she thought. He’s trying to keep me calm!
    â€œNo one wants to hurt you,” he went on.
    Nancy’s mouth fell open. She backed away from him. From all of them. All of them just kept staring at her. Martha with her blank brown eyes. Young Albert with his alert features. The tint-haired woman and the roly-poly man—their curious glares on her like spotlights.
    What the hell is this?
    She took another step back and felt the cool air from the window against her calves.
    â€œNo one wants to hurt you,” Goldstein repeated. “All we want is for you to step outside into the reception area. We can talk about everything out there. Okay?”
    Nancy shook her head. “I don’t … I don’t … understand. I mean …” That muzziness—the feverish haze that had been with her all morning—it was rising inside her again. She felt as if her head were expanding. She blinked as her thoughts clouded. “I … I mean … Don’t you know me? Don’t, uh, don’t you know who I am?”
    The stocky little Goldstein took a small step toward her. His hand stayed in front of him, to ward her off now too. “We can talk about all that right outside, Miss. Right outside in the waiting room. Okay? We’ll all talk about it together and figure it all out. No one wants to hurt you.”
    Nancy put her hand to her forehead, trying to clear it.
    â€œWe’re all your friends,” Goldstein said.
    Well , she thought wildly, that’s certainly reassuring.
    Now Albert was coming forward also. He took a long, vigorous step around the far side of the gunmetal desk. “Watch out behind you now,” he said. “Don’t get too close to that window.”
    â€œLook … Look, I’m a little confused, I … I don’t know what’s going on … I came in here, I … I mean …” She shook her head. The fog was filling her mind. She couldn’t stop it. I’m babbling , she thought. Stop babbling. “Look, I just, I’m feeling a little sick today or something … if you could just let me … If you could just …” She didn’t finish.
    â€œNo one’s going to hurt you,” said Goldstein, sliding toward her. “We’ll just take you outside.”
    â€œLook, if you could just … I mean, I am Nancy Kincaid!” she said weakly.
    Somehow, someone had moved right up beside her. She heard his voice, a new voice, a soft, warm voice, right