Абрахам Меррит - Burn, Witch, Burn!

watch-"

She caught me by the shoulder with a grip that bruised. She pushed me toward the door.

"Go!"

I fought to muster my will, to raise my arms. Could I have done so I would have struck her down as I

would a ravening beast. I could not move them. Like an automaton I walked across the room to the

door. The doll-maker opened it.

There was an odd rustling noise from the cabinets. Stiffly, I turned my head.

The doll of Walters had fallen forward. It lay half over the edge. Its arms swung, as though imploring me

to take it away. I could see in its palms the marks of the crucifying nails. Its eyes were fixed on mine-

"Go!" said the doll-maker. "And remember!"

With the same stiff motion I walked through the corridor and into the shop. The girl watched me, with

vague, fear-filled eyes. As though a hand were behind me, pressing me inexorably on, I passed through

the shop and out of its door into the street.

I seemed to hear, did hear, the mocking evil-sweet laughter of the doll-maker!

The moment I was out in the street, volition, power of movement, returned to me. In an abrupt rush of

rage, I turned to re-enter the shop. A foot from it, I was brought up as against an invisible wall. I could

not advance a step, could not even raise my hands to touch the door. It was as though at that point my

will refused to function, or rather that my legs and arms refused to obey my will. I realized what it

was-post-hypnotic suggestion of an extraordinary kind, part of the same phenomena which had held me

motionless before the doll-maker, and had sent me like a robot out of her lair. I saw McCann coming

toward me, and for an instant had the mad idea of ordering him to enter and end Madame Mandilip with

a bullet. Common sense swiftly told me that we could give no rational reason for such killing, and that we

would probably expiate it within the same apparatus of execution with which I had threatened her.

McCann said: "I was getting worried, Doc. Just about to break in on you."

I said: "Come on, McCann. I want to get home as quickly as possible."

He looked at my face, and whistled.

"You look like you been through a battle, Doc."

I answered: "I have. And the honors are all with Madame Mandilip-so far."

"You came out quiet enough. Not like the boss, with the hag spitting hell in your face. What happened?"

"I'll tell you later. Just let me be quiet for awhile. I want to think."

What I actually wanted was to get back my self-possession. My mind seemed half-blind, groping for the

tangible. It was as if it had been enmeshed in cobwebs of a peculiarly unpleasant character, and although

I had torn loose, fragments of the web were still clinging to it. We got into the car and rolled on for some

minutes in silence. Then McCann's curiosity got the better of him.

"Anyway," he asked, "what did you think of her?"

By this time I had come to a determination. Never had I felt anything to approach the loathing, the cold

hatred, the implacable urge to kill, which this woman had aroused in me. It was not that my pride had

suffered, although that was sore enough. No, it was the conviction that in the room behind the doll-shop

dwelt blackest evil. Evil as inhuman and alien as though the doll-maker had in truth come straight from

that hell in which Ricori believed. There could be no compromise with that evil. Nor with the woman in

whom it was centered.

I said: "McCann, in all the world there is nothing so evil as that woman. Do not let the girl slip through

your fingers again. Do you think she knew last night that she had been seen?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"Increase the guards in front and back of the place at once. Do it openly, so that the women cannot help

noticing it. They will think, unless the girl is aware that she was observed, that we are still in ignorance of

the other exit. They will think we believe she managed to slip out unseen either at front or back. Have a

car in readiness at each end of the street where she keeps the coupe. Be careful not to arouse their

suspicions. If the girl appears, follow her-" I hesitated.

McCann asked: "And then what?"

"I want her taken-abducted, kidnapped-whatever you choose to call it. It must be done with the utmost

quietness. I leave that to you. You know how such things are done better than I. Do it quickly and do it

quietly. But not too near the doll-shop-as far away from it as you can. Gag the girl, tie her up if

necessary. But get her. Then search the car thoroughly. Bring the girl to me at my house-with whatever

you find. Do you understand?"

He said: "If she shows, we'll get her. You going to put her through the third degree?"

"That-and something more. I want to see what the doll-maker will do. It may goad her into some action

which will enable us to lay hands on her legitimately. Bring her within reach of the law. She may or may

not have other and invisible servants, but my intention is to deprive her of the visible one. It may make the

others visible. At the least, it will cripple her."

He looked at me, curiously; "She musta hit you pretty hard, Doc."

"She did," I answered curtly. He hesitated.

"You going to tell the boss about this?" he asked at last.

"I may or I may not-tonight. It depends upon his condition. Why?"

"Well, if we're going to pull off anything like a kidnapping, I think he ought to know."

I said, sharply: "McCann, I told you Ricori's message was that you were to obey orders from me as

though they were from him. I have given you your orders. I accept all the responsibility."

"Okay," he answered, but I could see that his doubt still lingered.

Now, assuming Ricori had sufficiently recovered, there was no real reason why I should not tell him what

had happened during my encounter with Madame Mandilip. It was different with Braile. More than

suspecting, as I did, the attachment between him and Walters, I could not tell him of the crucified

doll-and even now I thought of it not as a doll crucified, but as Walters crucified. If I told him, I knew

well that there would be no holding him back from instant attack upon the doll-maker. I did not want

that.

But I was aware of a most stubborn reluctance to tell Ricori the details of my visit. The same held good

for Braile in other matters besides the Walters doll. And why did I feel the same way about McCann? I

set it down to wounded vanity.

We stopped in front of my house. It was then close to six. Before getting out of the car I repeated my

instructions. McCann nodded.

"Okay, Doc. If she comes out, we get her."

I went into the house, and found a note from Braile saying that he would not be in to see me until after

dinner. I was glad of that. I dreaded the ordeal of his questions. I learned that Ricori was asleep, and that

he had been regaining strength with astonishing rapidity. I instructed the nurse to tell him, should he

awaken, that I would visit him after I had dined. I lay down, endeavoring to snatch a little sleep before

eating.

I could not sleep-constantly the face of the doll-maker came before me whenever I began to relax into a

doze, throwing me into intense wakefulness.

At seven I arose and ate a full and excellent dinner, deliberately drinking at least twice the amount of wine

I ordinarily permit myself, finishing with strong coffee. When I arose from the table I felt distinctly better,

mentally alert and master of myself once more-or so I believed. I had decided to apprise Ricori of my