Now You See It... Part 16

66 Richard Matheson

Another sound of dread from Harry, followed by a sound of scoffing from my son.

"Everyone talks about how tough you are," he said.

"Toughest agent in the business. Harry Kendal. Made of tempered steel."

He snickered- "Made of cottage cheese," he said. "Tough at selling clients down the river, yes. At life, however-?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "-a total wimp."

He turned and walked away, headed toward the desk. I must admit I felt a great relief. Whatever Harry had done- and it must have been a lot-I didn't want to see my son a murderer.

Obviously, he didn't want it either.

"What a blithering idiot you are," he said, tossing the pis- tol onto the desk. "To even think that a man of my degree would be capable of such barbaric murder. And in front of my father!" His words shamed my original urge that he do Just that.

Harry watched him blankly, wondering what Max was planning next. I confess that I wondered, too.

The answer was immediate in coming as my son pulled out the top middle drawer of the desk and removed a vial.

Holding it up for Harry to see, he set it down and lifted the silver thermos decanter, pulled off its top and poured water into a gla.s.s. Putting down the decanter, he un- screwed the cover from the vial and shook four red capsules into his palms. Oh, now what. Sonny? I thought uneasily.

Max tossed the capsules into his mouth and, with the water, swallowed them.

"There," he said, "that should do it. Give me five min- utes. Maybe ten."

Son! My mental voice was anguished.

Harry was still numbed by fright. He stared at Max un- comprchendingly.

"What are you doing?" he muttered.

Now YOM Sea tt. 67

The hand behind the ear. Max inquired, "Pardon?"

"What are you doing?" Harry asked again, more loudly now.

'Tast tense, old friend," Max answered- "What you should say is, what have I done?"

Harry still didn't understand. I understood only too well.

Max tossed the empty vial to Harry-who tried to catch it/ but missed; it fell into his lap. He picked it up and studied it. There was no label- He looked back at Max in confusion.

Then he smelled the opening of the vial, wincing at the odor.

"Bitter almonds," Max informed him.

a.r.s.enic, I thought in horror.

"a.r.s.enic," said Max.

"Oh, my G.o.d." Harry labored to bis feet. "You're crazy."

"I believe we've already established mat," said Max- Harry rushed to the desk, his legs appearing somewhat rubbery. He s.n.a.t.c.hed up the telephone receiver.

"A waste of time," Max told-him calmly. I felt ill. "I'll be .dead long before anyone can get here."

Harry looked^t him in agitation. "What the h.e.l.l do you expect me to do, just stand by and watch you die?" he de- manded.

Why not? My thought was stricken. It's all 1 can do. Except that I'll be sitting by instead.

"Just stand by," said Max, "and offer me the courtesy of listening with attention for the last few minutes of my life."

"Ohy G.o.d," said Harry-and my mind-and stared at Max.

Then he said, impulsively, "I'll drive you to the hospital in your car!"

"There isn't time," Max told him quietly. The calmness of his tone was chilling to my blood. "I have five to seven min- utes left at most. Sit down."

"Jesus, Max!"

68 Richard Mathexon

"Sit down," said Max. His smile was thin. "And, for once in your life/ listen to me."

"Jesus," Harry mumbled.

There's nothing I can do to stop this. There was utter, help- less horror in my mind. Nothing!

Harry didn't sit; he couldn't. (I could do nothing but.) He watched Max with a pained expression as my son began to pace around the room-

'"Ihe more I get my circulation going, the less time it will take," he said.

"Jesus, Max!"

Max raised a silencing hand.

"I never told you about Adelaide/ did I?" he asked. "My true love. My only love. My wife. My friend. My treasure."

Not that, my mind pleaded. Adelaide had always been an angel to me.

"I was married to her before you came along," continued Max. "Before Ca.s.sandra came along."

Harry twitched (I may have done the same without sen- sation) as Max's right leg seemed to buckle momentarily and he staggered slightly. Harry made a sudden move to- ward him, then stopped as Max walked on, a look of haunted recollection on his face.

"Those were the best years of my life," he said. "We loved each other deeply. I was happier than 1 have ever been."

I closed my eyes and prayed to weep. I always knew that Max adored her; I could see it in his every word and action, in bis face. My son adored her as I'd adored my wife, and both of us had lost those magic, wonderful relations.h.i.+ps.