Chapter Five: There They Are

..There They Are..

The physical exertion, however, brought at length a more comfortable reaction and some measure of composure. With the lights in sight, he slowed down and entered the village at a reasonable pace. The inn was reached, a bedroom inspected and engaged, and supper ordered with the solid comfort of a large Bass to satisfy an unholy thirst and complete the restoration of balance. The unusual sensations largely passed away, and the odd feeling that anything in his simple, wholesome world required explanation was no longer present. Still with a vague uneasiness about him, though actual fear quite gone, he went into the bar to smoke an after - supper pipe and chat with the locals, as his pleasure was upon a holiday, and so saw two men leaning upon the counter at the far end with their backs towards him. He saw their faces instantly in the glass, and the pipe nearly slipped from beneath his teeth. Clean-shaven, sleek, clever faces - and he caught a word or two as they talked over thei drinks - French words. Well dressed they were, both men, with nothing about them calling for a particular attention; they might have been two tourists holiday-making like himself in tweeds and walking-boots. And they presently paid for their drinks and went out. He never saw them face to face at all; but the sweat broke out afresh all over him, a feverish rush of heat and ice together ran about his body; beyond question he recognised the two tramps, this time not disguised - not yet disguised.
He remained in his corner without moving, puffing violently at an extinguished pipe, gripped helplessly by the return of that first vile terror. It came again to him with an absolute clarity of certainty that it was not with himself they had to do, those men, and, further, that he had no right in the world to interfere. He had no right to interfere; it would be immoral . . . even if the opportunity came. And the opportunity, he felt, would come. He had been an eavesdropper, and had come upon private information of a secret kind that he had no right to make use of, even that good might come - even to save life. He sat on in his corner, terrified and silent, waiting for the thing that should happen next.

Reviews

[PyroKitty24]

Oh dear. Again, I can't wait to see what happens next

[JulieZee]

Love it!

[twain carey]

hey, it's a nice set up. . I like the fear that Earzo showed.