WILL AND WAY
385
arms extended like a great winged bat. His monocle glinted with the
reflected rays of the sun, making one eye obsidian and relentless.
His teeth seemed to be longer, and hair had sprouted on the palms
of his hands. His face was a thing of terrible wrath. There was not
a trace of mockery or compassion on it. Inspector Jug blanched, but
held his ground; he did not move his hands, which rested on the
buttocks of both women.
"You can't talk to me like that, Mr. Obscenity."
The girl screaIl'ed, broke away from Inspector Jug's grasp, and
pulled down her skirt.
"You were my most trusted assistant, Jug," said Mr. Obscenity
sternly. "And you have betrayed that trust. You know my motto:
every man to his business. I know my business. And you should
have known yours."
Inspector Jug had, visibly, begun to quail. Miss Flatface, feeling
the hand which had grasped her buttocks so avidly now loosening its
grip, becoming more tentative, even distracted in its lust, moved
away. She had a faintly unpleasant sensation of coolness, also of
emptiness, exactly in the place where Inspector Jug had held her.
Mr. Obscenity advanced, hands like claws.
"But Mr. Obscenity- sir- "
At these halting deferential words Miss Flatface knew the
game was up. Inspector Jug couldn't brave Mr. Obscenity any more
than the others. The king of the jungle, she thought, will ever be
king.
"You!" called Mr. Obscenity to Miss Flatface, imperiously.
"Stay where you are. I want a word with you, as soon as I've lopped
a piece off this sniveling rogue."
"Don't go, Laura," pleaded Inspector Jug. "You can clear
everything up. Tell him how businesslike I was when I first came
in the door. I wasn't doin' nothin' wrong. You can tell him that,
Laura. Tell him! Please!"
Mr. Obscenity sank his fangs, through winter coat and all, into
Inspector Jug's shoulder.
"Is there a way out of here," Miss Flatface said, addressing
herself to the dark-haired girl, who crouched cowering by the door.
The girl pointed, mutely. Miss Flatface heard the sound of prancing
hoofs. "Consider this an escape," she announced to the two men.
