by Lee Archer
other's grip. He steppedback a couple of paces. "What the hell's this all about?"
"Come now, Muldoon," Robert said softly. "You didn't think your pryingwent unobserved, last night?"
"So I was nosey. But what's this rough stuff you're trying to pull?"
"Merely making sure your curiosity will end tonight."
* * * * *
Muldoon took a couple of more retreating paces. "You mean you're goingto get rid of me? Well, maybe you will, and maybe you won't. But even ifyou do ..."
A smile broke through the grim lips of the twin threatening Muldoon."You mean the duplicating machine? Just another piece of rusted scrapamong the rest of the junk."
Muldoon paled. The evidence he was going to need, gone.
"And of course the money is genuine. We made sure of it. Ink, paper,everything. We made sure of it long ago. It will be a pity you won't behere to see how efficient we can really be. But the rest of the planetwill know. As soon as Evin returns."
Muldoon's mind was working swiftly. "You got rid of the machine. Butwhat about the junk shop it was in. I'll bet there are more importantthings there."
"Indeed there are. But no one will find it. It will be just anotherrusted piece of large junk to them."
It was then Muldoon made his move. He lashed out with a fist. The blowstaggered Robert. And Muldoon was crashing his shoulder against theinner door. It burst inward, but before he could get through Robertgrabbed him. The whole side of Muldoon's face went numb as Robertcrashed his fist against his jaw. Muldoon knew he didn't stand a chancein a straight-up fight, not with these two. Robert's hands were reachingfor him, now.
Muldoon grabbed one of the hands with both of his, twisted outward ashe grasped two fingers in each hand. Robert's face went putty-grey asthe bones snapped. Muldoon no longer cared about fair play. His kneecame up where it could do most damage, and Robert sank grovelling to thefloor.
Muldoon whirled. Too late. The world exploded in a thousand flashes ofpain-filled lights. He went crashing backward into the wall. Evin hithim again before he stumbled blindly away from the terrible fist.
"Let me kill him," Robert groaned.
Muldoon pulled himself up from the pain-filled world he had been sentinto. There seemed to be two Evins facing him. Then there was only one.A twisted grin came to Muldoon's lips. "Come ahead, you rat," hemumbled.
Evin came forward. And swift as an adder Muldoon kicked him just belowthe knee cap. Evin screamed, and collapsed. Muldoon staggered out of theway of the falling body, only to fall into the clutches of Robert'ssudden reaching fingers.
He fell to the floor.
Robert tried to get his good hand up to Muldoon's throat. Muldoon beatat the thick face with both hands. But the other seemed not to feel thepounding fists. Slowly the fingers managed to reach their goal. Muldoonfelt the darkness of death closing over him as his breath became atortured dying gasp. His hand found Robert's face, came gently over ituntil his thumb pressed on one eyeball. And Robert screamed as the thumbbecame a hooked instrument to blind him.
Muldoon rolled away from the other, staggered somehow erect, but knewhis strength was gone. He couldn't make it to the door. And now Evin hadhim....
And the door burst open and men poured into the room. Muldoon recognizedonly one, the head of the Treasury's investigation department, before heblacked out.
* * * * *
Deena Savory stroked his forehead gently. "Does it hurt much, baby?"
The nurse had left them alone when Deena came into the hospital room.
"Not now," Muldoon said.
"What are they going to do to those men?" she asked.
"Oh, twenty years, according to Phillips. Counterfeiting, you know,carries heavy penalties."
"But I thought the money was good? After all, they had paid rent withC-notes."
"A slip-up on the bank's part. You see they made one mistake. Themachine they had, turned out perfect bills. Every one with the sameserial number...."
Deena's eyes widened.
"And the junk shop or whatever it was?" she said.
"I thought I'd let well enough alone. You see I took care of that duringthe day. The twins, being criminals, had automatically broken theirlease. They also made it possible for me to change clients. Well,there's going to be a huge tank covering that dump and shack, a tankholding an awful lot of natural gas. I got together with the owner ofthe property and the utility people yesterday afternoon and worked out adeal. They're going to dump all that junk into the ocean."
"I'm sorry about the other night," she said suddenly.
"Is that how you say you're sorry?" he asked.
"Uh-uh," she said, as he reached for her. "There's a time and place forthat."
"Promise."
Her lips agreed.
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Amazing Stories_ September 1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note. Variant spellings have been retained.
