"017 (B002) - The Thousand-Headed Man (1934-07) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"One of the keys," Sen Gat said, stepping back slightly. "Three black keys to the secret of the Man With a Thousand Heads."

Maples glared. "Indigo told you that, eh?┴'

Sen Gat moved another pace. The rug under foot bore a grotesque oriental figure the likeness of some deity or ogre.

"Indigo told me everything," Sen Gat said. "Indigo is quite faithful."

Maples snarled. He wrenched open his shirt at the chest. The skin had a stretched, taut look over his ribs and breastbone. There were long welts, red and inflamed, crisscrossing each other, marks freshly made. They were marks such as might have been left by the touch of a red-hot iron.

"Indigo is all devil," Maples grated. "He tortured me after he heard me talk in my sleep."

Sen Gat laughed. "I'll wager that Indigo learned all you knew."

Moving again, Sen Gat stepped on one ear of the ogre design woven into the carpet.

"Indigo got it all," Maples growled. "Calvin Copeland, his wife, the others - what happened to them - I had to tell it all."

"A pitiful story." Sen Gat sneered as he spoke, and casually stepped on the other ear of the ogre.

"Damn you!" Maples grated. "You don't care what happens to Copeland, his wife, and the others. You want to get to The Thousand-headed Man - with these three keys."

He juggled the packet which held the black stick.

Sen Gat smirked. "You misjudge me."

He said no more, for Maples lunged suddenly and struck him in the face. Sen Gat toppled backward. Fear of snapping off his amazing finger nails seemed to keep him from using his hands to break his descent. He fell heavily.

Maples wrenched up the rug. Under the two ears of the ogre were tiny push buttons; with his feet, Sen Gat could have operated them.

"Called help, eh," Maples rapped.

He leaped upon Sen Gat, grabbed the swarthy oriental by the throat, and they fought. Sen Gat was the stronger by I far, but he did not use his hands and that handicapped him.

Maples, suddenly realizing his foe was possessed with an awful fear of breaking his long finger nails, grabbed the gold nail protectors and twisted.

Sen Gat shrieked, and to prevent breakage of the nails allowed himself to be led toward the door.

Suddenly, men came through the door.


THE FOREMOST of the newcomers was broad and powerful. His features were handsome in a hard way, but two things combined to make them repulsive: the man's skin was unnaturally pale, and his beard coarse, blue-black.

"Indigo! Help!" screeched Sen Gat.

The blue-bearded Indigo lunged forward. From his right hind dangled a unique weapon - a heavy steel machine tap tied to the end of a leather thong almost a yard in length. He swung the tap on the thong, underhanded, and let it go.

Indigo was deft in the use of his unique missile. Traveling with uncanny accuracy, it caught Maples on the temple and dropped him quivering, stunned.