Человек-невидимка
The Plan That Failed
It'soflittlehelp—alittlehelpperhaps—inhousebreakingandsoforth.Onceyou'vecaughtmeyoucouldeasilyimprisonme.ButontheotherhandIamhardtocatch. Thisinvisibility,infact,isonlygoodintwocases:It'susefulingettingaway,it'susefulinapproaching. It'sparticularlyuseful,therefore,inkilling. Icanwalkroundaman,whateverweaponhehas,choosemypoint,strikeasIlike.DodgeasIlike.EscapeasIlike."
Kemp'shandwenttohismoustache.Wasthatamovementdownstairs?
"Anditiskillingwemustdo,Kemp."
"Itiskillingwemustdo,"repeatedKemp."I'mlisteningtoyourplan,Griffin,butI'mnotagreeing,mind.Whykilling?"
"Notwantonkilling,butajudiciousslaying. Thepointis,theyknowthereisanInvisibleMan—aswellasweknowthereisanInvisibleMan. AndthatInvisibleMan,Kemp,mustnowestablishaReignofTerror. Yes;nodoubtit'sstartling.ButImeanit.AReignofTerror.HemusttakesometownlikeyourBurdockandterrifyanddominateit. Hemustissuehisorders. Hecandothatinathousandways—scrapsofpaperthrustunderdoorswouldsuffice. Andallwhodisobeyhisordershemustkill,andkillallwhowoulddefendthem."
"Humph!"saidKemp,nolongerlisteningtoGriffinbuttothesoundofhisfrontdooropeningandclosing.
"Itseemstome,Griffin,"hesaid,tocoverhiswanderingattention,"thatyourconfederatewouldbeinadifficultposition."
"Noonewouldknowhewasaconfederate,"saidtheInvisibleMan,eagerly.Andthensuddenly,"Hush!What'sthatdownstairs?"