me to do this.”
“He’s mine,” Arym said, moving towards Lydia. “No one touches him but me.”
Lydia went for her with the knife.
I yelled a warning, but it wasn’t necessary. Arym was quite capable of taking care of herself. She simply vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Lydia stopped in her rush with a startled scream. She looked around the room, her knife held ready and her eyes wild.
Just behind her a large vase containing flowers suddenly floated off the table. It shot high into the air and descended on Lydia’s head. She flattened out on the floor and the vase flew in a hundred pieces.
“And that’s that,” said Arym’s voice.
Invisible hands gathered the flowers into a bunch and laid them on Lydia’s chest.
“She only lacks a wooden overcoat,” Arym said, suddenly reappearing. “But I haven’t time for that now.”
I felt unnerved. “I just can’t get used to your tricks,” I said, staring at Lydia with morbid fascination.
“Didn’t you like that little exhibition?” Arym asked, not without pride.
“I thought it was swell,” I said, “but I can’t stand a lot of it. Look, sweetheart, will you untie me?”
“Oh, no,” Arym said firmly, “I want to talk to you first.”
“But we haven’t time,” I said desperately. “Peppi’ll come back any minute.”
She shrugged, “I couldn’t care less about that,” she returned, putting her arm round my neck. “I can do to Peppi what I did to her and think nothing of it.”
“Arym, you must let me loose,” I said feverishly, “I want you to do something for me.”
“I know,” she said, “but you’re going to hear what I want first.” She sat on my knee and began fondling my ear. That’s a thing I can’t stand, but I wasn’t in the position to tell her so.
“You’re going to marry me.”
I stared at her, “Of all the crazy things!” I said angrily. “This is no time for fooling.”
“But, I’m not fooling,” she said, “you’re marrying me or it’ll be the last thing you refuse me.”
“I’m marrying Myra,” I said, trying to push her away, “Be reasonable for the love of mike. Myra’s desperately ill. She needs you. You can’t refuse to help her.”
“I know all about that,” she said carelessly, “I’ve just come from seeing her. She knew what was happening here and she sent me to get you out of the mess. I agreed on one condition—that she would give you up. Well, she’s given you up. If you want me to save her, you must promise to marry me.”
“I’m not going to,” I said, hardly believing my ears. “Of all the dirty tricks! You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
“Don’t get upstage,” Aryrn said, putting her face against mine. “I’ll let Peppi handle you, if you don’t play along with me. And I’ll let Myra fend for herself, too.”
I drew a deep breath, “You can’t do this,” I said, “think what it means. You don’t really think you could hold me to such a marriage. Why I’d leave you in a week. What do you think I am—a mouse?”
A look of doubt came into Arym’s eyes, “But, don’t you like me a little?” she pleaded, hugging me to her.
“I like you all right,” I said, “you’ve got everything Myra has except her nice nature. That’s something you’ll never have.”
“I could be nice to you,” she wheedled, “and you would be good for me.” I had a sudden idea.
“I’ll agree on one condition,” I said.
She looked suspicious, “What condition?”
“You return to Myra, give up your body and I’ll marry you both.”
“No,” she said, getting off my knee. “I want to have a body of my own.”
“But, you’ll never really be happy,” I urged, feeling that I was persuading her. “It’s the only way you’ll ever get me. If you can’t share me with Myra then I’m through with you.”
She began to pace up and down. “You don’t understand what this means to me. As I am now, I can do what I like, go where I like and love whom I like.”
“And where’s it getting you?” I asked. “Can’t you see it’s the only possible way out? Ask yourself, have you been happy? You’re only half yourself. Myra has all the good qualities. If you go back to her you’ll be complete and you’ll have me.”
She stopped pacing and stared at me. “You devil,” she said, “I hadn’t thought of it like that. You’re right. I have missed Myra. I’ve missed tempting her to do the wrong things. I’ve missed fighting with her. I guess I’m being a sucker, but I’ll do it, if she’ll have me back.”
“I warn you,” I said, “you’re going to behave. No more stealing. I’ll be around to keep you in order.”
“I’ll do it—for no other man in the world but you,” she said, and picking up the knife she cut me free.
I stood up with a grimace. “We must get over to Myra,” I said, stamping life into my legs.
“I’ve left her too long as it is.”
“Don’t fuss,” she said. “She’ll be all right.”
I suddenly remembered Whisky. “My goodness!” I said hobbling to the telephone. “Maybe Peppi’s cutting poor old Whisky’s throat right now.”
“You worry too much,” Arym said calmly. “He’ll have his throat cut sooner or later, he’s that kind of a dog.”
I got through to police headquarters.
When Summers came on the line I shot him the story. “Get a squad over there,” I said feverishly, giving him Harriet’s address. “And make it snappy. You’ll have Kruger and his mob on ice if you get that picture.”
“We’ll get it,” Summers said excitedly, and hung up.
“I hope they do,” I said. “Well, let’s get over to the hospital.” I put my arm around her and kissed her. “You’re a nice kid,” I said. “And you won’t have any regrets. Now, come on. Go into your vanishing act. The cops mustn’t see you.”
“Consider it done,” she said, and a wisp of smoke indicated where she had been standing.
When we reached the hospital we found Clancy and a couple of cops still waiting outside Myra’s door. Bogle had been taken away.
I went up to Clancy. “How is she?” I asked anxiously.
Clancy looked mournful. “She’s bad,” he said. “The doc’s in there now.”
“Can I go in?”
“Not yet,” Clancy said, shaking his head. “Maybe when the doc’s through.”
I turned away. I was tempted to burst into her room, but I knew it wouldn’t do, so I wandered over to a chair and sat down.
“Who’s the guy with a face like a tomato?” Arym whispered in my ear.
I told her.
“He looks like a heel,” Arym said. “I think I’ll throw a scare into him.”
“Lay off,” I said hurriedly. “We don’t want any trouble here.”
“It wouldn’t be any trouble to me,” she said wistfully. “It’d be fun.”
“Now for the love of mike behave yourself. Haven’t I enough on my mind without you adding to it?”
Clancy had drawn near and was staring at me with startled Interest. “Do you have to do that?” he asked suspiciously.
“Why not?” I returned. “Can’t I talk to myself without you horning in?”
“I guess so,” he returned, looking at me old fashioned. “But, I don’t like it much. It shows softening of the brain.”
“That’s better than having no brain at all, you cretin,” Arym’s voice snapped.
Clancy stiffened. “What’s that?” he said, glaring at me. “I didn’t say anything,” I returned hurriedly.
“Don’t tell lies,” Clancy said. “One more crack like that and I’ll toss you in the can. And cut out that falsetto voice. I don’t like it.”
Just then a young and pretty nurse came down the corridor.
Clancy, who never passed up a nice-looking girl, swallowed his wrath. He adjusted his necktie and smirked at her. “Evening,” he said, swelling out his chest.
