Closure

Closure by Jacob Ross Page A

Book: Closure by Jacob Ross Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jacob Ross
wary and watchful, sniffing out the environment and circling under the professor’s specially built platform, now raised eight feet off the ground. One of the tigers defecated and Harry Cook wondered aloud if that would change the outcome of the experiment in any way.
    That was Harry Cook at his best, George thought, displaying the tongue-in-cheek humour that had made him so popular with listeners. George had tried out Cook’s technique on his wife a few times, but it had failed to lift her depression.
    â€œWe have radio contact with the Professor inside the enclosure,” Harry Cook said. “Professor, can you tell us? How do you intend to get the tigers into the second, smaller enclosure in order for them to circle the tree?”
    The Professor did not reply. He and his assistant were completely focused on their experiments. Both Harry Cook and George looked up and saw several large cuts of meat being lowered down through the tree branches.
    The tigers were interested; three were already walking under the tree in the second, smaller glass enclosure. Everyone in the Great Hall held their breath waiting for the fourth tiger to do the same. When at last it sniffed its way in, the professor with a flamboyant flourish of the hand, directed his assistant to close the glass gate.
    The tigers did not circle or begin to race each other around the tree. Bunched together, their tails began switching, and first one tiger, then another, jumped out of the tight enclosure and began to prowl again under the platform and around the perimeter of the main glass enclosure, their tails lashing at the air with concern.
    The professor signalled his assistant to raise the meat and as it slid out of view the movement attracted one tiger’s attention. It stretched up the tree trunk, extending its claws to grip the bark then leapt with no effort at all, onto the lower branches. The tree began to lean.
    Finding its quarry among the limp foliage, the tiger wrestled it from the wire that held it. The wire snapped causing the tree to lean even more dangerously. Harry Cook, amazed by the prowess of the animal and noticing one of the tigers eye-balling him, fell silent.
    The animal that had retrieved the meat jumped to the ground with it, and a tussle began, each tearing at it with their mouths while trying to bat away the others with heavy swipes of their paws. The soundproofing was very effective. It was like watching a silent movie.
    One of the animals retreated from the fight and approached the platform sniffing. The assistant opened her mouth and presumably screamed as the tiger leapt up towards her but fell short.
    â€œOh gosh…” Harry Cook said – all his usual jollity vanished. “I can see one of the tigers is making ready to leap up at the platform again. Oh look! Professor Draper has raised a gun. He is pointing it at the tiger.”
    The entrance gate rose and George saw chunks of meat had been laid to entice the tigers away. Distracted by the rising door the animals moved off, except for the one that continued to explore the potential for a fresh meal on the platform. Everyone watched it as it prepared to spring again. They did not hear the gunshot; it was the shattering of the huge outer enclosure of glass that alerted them to what the professor had done. It seemed, however, that the shot had missed the tiger. It bit through the glass and continued across the room until it found the arm of one of the statues. Harry Cook dropped his microphone and ran with the rest of the assembled audience as the arm crashed to the floor. A second shot sounded as they stumbled through the main door and slammed it shut, leaving the professor and his assistant inside.
    George ran under the tapestry towards the small secondary door. Neon Banks followed him, his eyes on the tiger which, though injured, was still on its feet. As they scrambled through the exit into the west wing corridor, quickly closing the door behind them,

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