She tried to slam the door; he caught it with his foot. She struck at
him with the pistol, but he dragged it out of her hand. He pushed her
aside and held her against the wall while she clawed at his arm.
"Stop it!" he said. "Nothing will happen to Peony, I promise you!" He
glanced back at the child-thing, who had begun to cry.
Anne subsided a little, staring at him angrily.
"There's no other way out, honey. Just trust me. She'll be all right."
Breathing quickly, Anne stood aside and watched him. "Okay, Terry.
But if you're lying--tell me, is it murder to kill a man to protect a
child?"
Norris lifted Peony in his arms. Her wailing ceased, but her tail
switched nervously.
"In whose law book?" he asked his wife. "I was wondering the same
thing." Norris started toward the door. "By the way--find my
instruments while I'm outside, will you?"
"The dissecting instruments?" she gasped. "If you intend--"
"Let's call them surgical instruments, shall we? And get them
sterilized."
He went on outside, carrying the child. Franklin was waiting for him in
the kennel doorway.
"Was that Mrs. Norris I heard screaming?"
Norris nodded. "Let's get this over with. I don't stomach it so well."
He let his eyes rest unhappily on the top of Peony's head.
Franklin grinned at her and took a bit of candy out of his pocket. She
refused it and snuggled closer to Norris.
"When can I go home?" she piped. "I want Daddy."
Franklin straightened, watching her with amusement. "You're going home
in a few minutes, little newt. Just a few minutes."
They went into the kennels together, and Franklin headed straight for
the third room. He seemed to be enjoying the situation. Norris hating
him silently, stopped at a workbench and pulled on a pair of gloves.
Then he called after Franklin.
"Chief, since you're in there, check the outlet pressure while I turn
on the main line, will you?"
Franklin nodded assent. He stood outside the gas-chamber, watching
the dials on the door. Norris could see his back while he twisted the
main-line valve.
"Pressure's up!" Franklin called.
"Okay. Leave the hatch ajar so it won't lock, and crack the intake
valves. Read it again."
"Got a mask for me?"
Norris laughed. "If you're scared, there's one on the shelf. But just
open the hatch, take a reading, and close it. There's no danger."
Franklin frowned at him and cracked the intakes. Norris quietly closed
the main valve again.
"Drops to zero!" Franklin called.
"Leave it open, then. Smell anything?"
"No. I'm turning it off, Norris." He twisted the intakes.
Simultaneously, Norris opened the main line.
"Pressure's up again!"
Norris dropped his wrench and walked back to the chamber, leaving Peony
perched on the workbench.
"Trouble with the intakes," he said gruffly. "It's happened before.
Mind getting your hands dirty with me, Chief?"
Franklin frowned irritably. "Let's hurry this up, Norris. I've got five
territories to visit."
"Okay, but we'd better put on our masks." He climbed a metal ladder to
the top of the chamber, leaned over to inspect the intakes. On his way
down, he shouldered a light-bulb over the door, shattering it. Franklin
cursed and stepped back, brushing glass fragments from his head and
shoulders.
"Good thing the light was off," he snapped.
Norris handed him the gas-mask and put on his own. "The main switch
is off," he said. He opened the intakes again. This time the dials
fell to normal open-line pressure. "Well, look--it's okay," he called
through the mask. "You sure it was zero before?"
"Of course I'm sure!" came the muffled reply.
"Leave it on for a minute. We'll see. I'll go get the newt. Don't let
the door close, sir. It'll start the automatics and we can't get it
open for half an hour."
"I know, Norris. Hurry up."
Norris left him standing just outside the chamber, propping the door
open with his foot. A faint wind was coming through the opening. It
should reach an explosive mixture quickly with the hatch ajar.
He stepped into the next room, waited a moment, and jerked the switch.
The roar was deafening as the exposed tungsten filament flared and
detonated the escaping anesthetic vapor. Norris went to cut off the
main line. Peony was crying plaintively. He moved to the door and
glanced at the smouldering remains of Franklin.
* * * * *
Feeling no emotion whatever, Norris left the kennels, carrying
the sobbing child under one arm. His wife stared at him without
understanding.
"Here, hold Peony while I call the police," he said.
"_Police?_ What's happened?"
He dialed quickly. "Chief Miler? This is Norris. Get over here quick.
My gas chamber exploded--killed Chief Agent Franklin. Man, it's awful!
Hurry."
He hung up and went back to the kennels. He selected a normal
Bermuda-K-99 and coldly killed it with a wrench. "You'll serve for a
deviant," he said, and left it lying in the middle of the floor.
Then he went back to the house, mixed a sleeping capsule in a glass of
water, and forced Peony to drink it.
"So she'll be out when the cops come," he explained to Anne.