Читать книгу Kings Row - Henry Bellamann - Страница 15

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It was almost dark when he opened his eyes. He remembered at once where he was and what had happened. He crawled a few paces and listened. The house was silent. Had they killed her? His breath shook out of him in gasps. He felt terribly ill. Tomorrow—he’d tell his grandmother about Sven. They’d take Renée away from him. Tomorrow—he couldn’t do anything now. He must hurry home before he was sick again. Tomorrow—Sven—the dirty, horrible, monstrous, terrible dog—tomorrow! He could not keep to the path. It kept swinging out from under him—slipping to one side—slithering from under his feet.... He tore his hands in the rose trellis.

He stumbled up the steps of the terrace. He heard Anna’s startled exclamation as he stepped into the blinding lamplight, and then his grandmother saying, “Nom de Dieu! Anna, vite, de l’eau. ...”

They undressed him and put him to bed. He felt a little better, but the bed rolled under him. Madame hung over him anxiously.

“Child, what is the matter? What happened?”

He wanted to tell her. He would have told everything, but he didn’t know the right words. How could he say it—to her? He turned his head from side to side. “I don’t—know. I fell down. I guess I got sick—” Waves of nausea swept up and over him when he tried to speak again.

Madame spoke quietly to Anna. “Tell Uncle Henry to hitch up the buggy and get Dr. Gordon—quickly.”

Dr. Gordon came, but Parris could not see him clearly. He heard questions, and tried to answer. Faces without bodies attached to them seemed to float over the bed. They came close, and enormous eyes looked at him. He tried to get away but could not. He tried hard to think. He said Renée—Renée—Renée, over and over. What was happening to her? Maybe she was still lying on the floor behind that locked door. Maybe she was lying in bed—all bloody. He screamed and pushed at Dr. Gordon’s face. Then he felt someone hold his hands and force him back on the pillow. He knew he was falling through the pillow—through the bed—through the floor—down a long shining tunnel that dwindled away and away to a tiny shimmering point. He was rushing violently toward that minute spark at the end of the slippery tunnel....