The Black Lizard and Beast in the Shadows by Rampo Edogawa

Author:Rampo Edogawa [Edogawa, Rampo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kurodahan Press
Published: 2019-04-07T05:00:00+00:00

‘Sanae-san, there’s still something I want to show you. Come this way. This time it’s not a zoo, but an aquarium. I’m very proud of it.’

Taking the quivering Sanae by the hand, the Black Lizard pulled her upright and they turned the next corner.

Here the long subterranean passage came to an end and there was a large glass-lined tank beyond. A very bright light had been fixed directly above the tank, making the objects in the water so clear through the thick glass it seemed one could reach out and touch them.

The tank measured about two metres on all sides and on its bottom countless fronds of strange seaweed were waving together like snakes.

But why did she call it an aquarium? There was no sign of any fish.

‘You can’t see any fish can you? Don’t be puzzled. After all, there were no animals in my zoo so why should it seem strange that there aren’t any fish in my aquarium?’

The woman in black laughed eerily before launching into another ghastly speech.

‘I think it’ll be fun to put a human inside. You know how much more interesting they are than fish. That fellow in the cage who got himself into such a tizzy might be handsome, but just think about the magnificent submarine dance a person thrown into this tank would perform…’

Then it was no longer the woman in black’s voice – Sanae’s field of vision was filled with a vivid monster-movie spectre. Something white was writhing in the gloomy water. Suddenly, from the squirming mass of raised serpentine heads, a large human face appeared at the glass, the mouth hanging open, gasping for breath like a koi carp. The eyes were shut and the brows drawn down… the face was not a man’s. Nor that of an old person. It was a young woman… but wait, this was definitely no stranger. For writhing there among the snakes was none other than Sanae herself!

‘It’s wonderful, don’t you think? What a superb show! There isn’t a classic painting, or a sculpture, or even an inspired performance of Japanese dance that has expressed such beauty. This is art in exchange for life…’

But Sanae was no longer listening to the ghastly declamation. She could not hold her breath that long. In the vision, she had inhaled copious amounts of water. She struggled with all her might until finally all her energy was spent. Then the fear and suffering became too great for her to bear and she fainted.

Realizing what had happened, the woman in black put out both hands to support Sanae but the young woman was now as limp as a jellyfish and she collapsed onto the concrete floor.

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