Jim Wilson took another slow step toward Davis.
Davis said, "We bred with intelligence, with a thought to what a steer
was for and we produced a walking chunk of meat as wide as it is long."
"Uh-huh," Frank said.
"Get the point? See what I'm driving at? Humans are more important than
cattle, but can we make them breed intelligently? Oh, no! That
interferes with damn silly human liberties. You can't tell a man he can
only have two kids. It's his God-given right to have twelve when the
damn moron can't support three. Get what I mean?"
"Sure--sure, I get it."
"You better think it over, mister--and tell that fat bastard to quit
sneaking up on me or I'll blow his brains all over the carpet!"
If the situation hadn't been so grim it would have appeared ludicrous.
Jim Wilson, feeling success almost in his grasp, was balanced on tiptoe
for a lunge. He teetered, almost lost his balance and fell back against
the wall.
"Take it easy," Frank said.
"I'll take it easy," Davis replied. "I'll kill every goddam one of
you--" he pointed the gun at Jim Wilson "--starting with him."
"Now wait a minute," Frank said. "You're unreasonable. What right have
you got to do that? What about the law of survival? You're standing
there with a gun on us. You're going to kill us. Isn't it natural to try
anything we can to save our own lives?"
A look of admiration brightened Davis' eyes. "Say! I like you. You're
all right. You're logical. A man can talk to you. If there's anything I
like it's talking to a logical man."
"Thanks."
"Too bad I'm going to have to kill you. We could sit down and have some
nice long talks together."
"Why do you want to kill us?" Minna asked. She had not spoken before. In
fact, she had spoken so seldom during the entire time they'd been
together that her voice was a novelty to Frank. He was inclined to
discount her tirade on the floor with Wilson's head in her lap. She had
been a different person then. Now she had lapsed back into her old
shell.