Famine by John Creasey Page B

rabbit man at the corner! It’s not a boast, and I don’t really feel brave; it’s simply that I don’t react to fear—or apprehension. I never have. I’ve always accepted a situation as it is. Just as I’ve accepted the fact of my husband’s death. That hurts, but it doesn’t stop me from living.”
    â€œNo, indeed,” said Palfrey. He felt composed enough to take the silver cover off a dish of eggs and bacon, and help first Betty, then himself. They sat at the table, and ate without speaking for a few minutes. No one disturbed them; nothing indicated the danger they had faced only a few minutes before.
    Suddenly he said: “I couldn’t hold it. It was like trying to hold—a polecat.”
    â€œI could tell,” said Betty, simply.
    â€œDid you see its claws?”
    â€œOnly too well. Did you see that the fur was fastened to the skin at the top of the arms and the back of the legs? That’s one of the things I wanted to tell you; I’ve seen the other women who saw the creatures. They all remember the talons, and the fact that the fur seems to be stuck onto the skin. Is that important?”
    â€œIt could be very important,” Palfrey said.
    â€œI hoped I might have an opportunity to impress you with my perspicacity. I didn’t expect to have a chance to demonstrate how calm I can be in a crisis!” She was almost laughing at herself. “I honestly don’t feel any sense of apprehension in advance, and even when I’m scared as I was just now it doesn’t last for long. The neck-band proves that I listen to advice, doesn’t it?” When Palfrey didn’t answer at once, she went on: “I could be very useful to you indeed, surely.”
    â€œIt wouldn’t surprise me,” said Palfrey. “And you could be very dangerous, too.”
    â€œDangerous?”
    â€œYes,” Palfrey answered soberly. “The creature attacked you, and proved one thing and gave clear indication of another – that there are two classes, or groups, of these things. Although some of them are certainly very primitive, others have a high intelligence – not only an inventive and technological intelligence, but a reasoning one, too. They followed you and tried to kill you. The obvious reason which springs to mind is that they were intelligent enough to know you could describe them, and they wanted you dead, so that you couldn’t.”
    Betty Fordham said huskily: “I know what you mean. But now you have seen one, and that puts you in danger.”
    â€œToo many have seen them for that to be dangerous much longer,” Palfrey reasoned. “They’re intelligent enough to realise that—”
    â€œOr some of them are,” Betty interpolated.
    Palfrey looked at her wryly.
    â€œOr some of them,” he agreed. “And apparently they’re intelligent enough to appear as rabbits in the country, and cats in town. On the other hand, they’re stupid in some ways. Why kill Anderson, for instance – why not just let him walk by?”
    Betty hazarded: “Perhaps he had seen and recognised them and the intelligent ones wanted to make sure he couldn’t describe them to anyone.”
    Palfrey looked at her searchingly, but obviously with approval.
    â€œI don’t suppose we’ll ever know for certain, but that’s the most convincing reason I’ve heard yet. Now let’s get back to the point. You could be dangerous to us because you can recognise them – and they can recognise you.”
    â€œAren’t we all going to be in danger until this menace is over?” Betty demanded. “And aren’t you going to need all the help you can get?”
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Chapter Nine
A Meeting of Diplomats
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    Yes, Palfrey thought, he was going to need all the help he could get, and this woman might be able to help a great deal. Her steady nerve and quite