Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 303 by Maxwel l Grant

Author:Maxwel,l Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

CHAPTER XI

IT was like a strange game, the way the figures in that room responded in rapid progression. Thoth, of course, was the one who started it and his deed was short, but swift and deadly. He'd started the knife for Yelvin's back and needed only an added hook to land it there before the victim could wheel around.

Yelvin did come around, but it was the force of the knife that lurched him the rest of the way, heaving him sideways over the edge of the desk where he flattened face downward, the knife handle bulging from between his shoulders.

As Yelvin rolled away, Thoth plucked the envelope and the papers with it, thrusting them under his brownish robe, but by that time the other figures were in action, bobbing all along the line.

Harry Vincent had launched himself at Thoth once before tonight. He did it again, with greater speed and fury. Harry literally dove across the desk from which Yelvin's body had been swept and caught Thoth's robe near the shoulder with a tight, two-fisted grab.

Further toward the main door than Harry, Albersham at least had the benefit of a shorter angle and he took advantage of it. Perhaps the fact that he'd been under suspicion earlier urged Albersham; at any rate, he proved faster, more efficient than either Barstow or Curvin had been at Zerland's.

Picking the space beside the desk, Albersham cleared Yelvin's body and started a hard grapple with Thoth, beating aside the murderer's swinging arm. Further toward the door, Cardona swung about with his gun, but couldn't fire at Thoth because other figures intervened. At the office door itself, Curvin was again at the key, trying to get the lock open while shouting for Barstow to help outside.

Cardona reached the desk and gave it a hard shove away from Yelvin's body, to clear a path to Thoth.

The man with the ibis mask lashed furiously about, trying to shake off Harry and Albersham at once. His swing pinned Harry between the wall and the desk, while Albersham came around to block Cardona.

The situation was momentarily in Thoth's favor and he made the most of it.

A wrench brought him free of Harry's clutch, the tough robe slipping through Harry's fingers. Thoth was luckier this time than at Zerland's, where he had lost a chunk of sleeve to Curvin, a jagged gap still testifying to that fact.

Body swinging with his fist, Thoth cuffed Albersham before the latter could grab the strings of hanging beads and keep a sample, the way Barstow had managed earlier this evening. What Albersham did grab was Thoth's arm, as it whipped away. On each arm, Thoth wore a broad, gem-studded bracelet, a division between the claw-glove and the sleeve above it. As Thoth's arm slipped away, Albersham caught the jeweled band on that particular sleeve and kept it.

Thoth didn't worry about the loss. He was free and Albersham was welcome to the bracelet. Having his

hand free, Thoth was able to grab the desk lamp and fling it at Cardona, who for the first time was taking clear aim with his gun.

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