The Shadow - 144 - The Murder Master by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1938-02-14T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

FUTILE BATTLE

THE SHADOW stood motionless at the end of the hallway, his hands half raised. Unarmed, he was forced to that position, until he could parry with this

new challenger. Even his breathing was slow; so slight that there was not the slightest sway to his flowing cloak.

That pose puzzled the girl; she showed her uncertainty. It was obvious that she was not a crook; had she been, she would have recognized who The Shadow was. In the half light of the hallway, she wondered whether this strangely silent figure could be human. All that the girl could see of The Shadow’s features were his eyes. They had a fiery glow that worried her.

In his turn, The Shadow was taking this respite to decide his next course.

He was reading the girl’s expressions; from them, he realized the factors that limited her action. Like himself, she was an intruder. Also, she had expected to meet Professor Quedden; not someone else.

She had come from the storeroom; its door was opened wider. Though determined to keep The Shadow at bay, she was anxious to do so without noise, for she had not uttered a word. Only a gesture of her gun had encouraged The Shadow to lift his hands.

That meant that the girl would avoid gunfire, except in an extreme emergency. The Shadow was gambling on that prospect; his best game, therefore, was to lull the girl. Calmly, The Shadow waited. All the while that the girl tried vainly to see his face, he was studying hers.

Her features were well molded; they gave her a definite beauty, marred only by the thrust of her chin. That, however, was only temporary, forced by the girl’s effort to be determined. So was the glare of her dark-brown eyes.

Naturally, they would have appeared much milder.

The girl’s paleness, too, was forced by circumstances. Her skin had a sheer whiteness, against the dark background of her hair. The tight clamp that she gave the revolver was an effort to control her nervousness; not a desire to

be quick with the trigger.

Whatever the reason for her expedition to Quedden’s, she had carefully prepared for the trip. Her clothes were dark, of rough cloth. They were tight-fitting except for her skirt, which was of an athletic type that allowed plenty of freedom.

As the lull continued, The Shadow saw the girl’s free hand clench tightly.

She was fighting off her nervousness, more than ever. Her lips opened; she seemed ready to give a command, then changed her mind. Her eyes narrowed, as she stepped slowly forward. Closer to The Shadow, she spoke in cautious contralto.

“Step toward me!” was her command. “Keep close to the other wall!”

The Shadow obeyed. He saw that the girl wanted him to pass her, so that she could force him into the storeroom. She was still too distant for The Shadow to spring to action. Nor did he make any unwise move as he went past the

girl. That was the moment when she was most on edge.

It was at the storeroom door that The Shadow halted, his breathing as slow

and controlled as before.

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