the monster men(魔鬼一样的人)-第1章
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THE MONSTER MEN
THE MONSTER MEN
Edgar Rice Burroughs
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THE MONSTER MEN
1 THE RIFT
As he dropped the last grisly fragment of the dismembered and
mutilated body into the small vat of nitric acid that was to devour every
trace of the horrid evidence which might easily send him to the gallows；
the man sank weakly into a chair and throwing his body forward upon his
great； teak desk buried his face in his arms； breaking into dry； moaning
sobs。
Beads of perspiration followed the seams of his high； wrinkled
forehead； replacing the tears which might have lessened the pressure upon
his overwrought nerves。 His slender frame shook； as with ague； and at
times was racked by a convulsive shudder。 A sudden step upon the
stairway leading to his workshop brought him trembling and wide eyed to
his feet； staring fearfully at the locked and bolted door。
Although he knew perfectly well whose the advancing footfalls were；
he was all but overcome by the madness of apprehension as they came
softly nearer and nearer to the barred door。 At last they halted before it；
to be followed by a gentle knock。
〃Daddy！〃 came the sweet tones of a girl's voice。
The man made an effort to take a firm grasp upon himself that no tell…
tale evidence of his emotion might be betrayed in his speech。
〃Daddy！〃 called the girl again； a trace of anxiety in her voice this time。
〃What IS the matter with you； and what ARE you doing？ You've been
shut up in that hateful old room for three days now without a morsel to eat；
and in all likelihood without a wink of sleep。 You'll kill yourself with
your stuffy old experiments。〃
The man's face softened。
〃Don't worry about me； sweetheart；〃 he replied in a well controlled
voice。 〃I'll soon be through nowsoon be throughand then we'll go
away for a long vacation for a long vacation。〃
〃I'll give you until noon； Daddy；〃 said the girl in a voice which carried
a more strongly defined tone of authority than her father's soft drawl； 〃and
then I shall come into that room； if I have to use an axe； and bring you out…
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THE MONSTER MEN
…do you understand？〃
Professor Maxon smiled wanly。 He knew that his daughter was equal
to her threat。
〃All right； sweetheart； I'll be through by noon for sureby noon for
sure。 Run along and play now； like a good little girl。〃
Virginia Maxon shrugged her shapely shoulders and shook her head
hopelessly at the forbidding panels of the door。
〃My dolls are all dressed for the day；〃 she cried； 〃and I'm tired of
making mud piesI want you to come out and play with me。〃 But
Professor Maxon did not reply he had returned to view his grim
operations； and the hideousness of them had closed his ears to the sweet
tones of the girl's voice。
As she turned to retrace her steps to the floor below Miss Maxon still
shook her head。
〃Poor old Daddy；〃 she mused； 〃were I a thousand years old； wrinkled
and toothless； he would still look upon me as his baby girl。〃
If you chance to be an alumnus of Cornell you may recall Professor
Arthur Maxon； a quiet； slender； white…haired gentleman； who for several
years was an assistant professor in one of the departments of natural
science。 Wealthy by inheritance； he had chosen the field of education for
his life work solely from a desire to be of some material benefit to
mankind since the meager salary which accompanied his professorship
was not of sufficient import to influence him in the slightest degree。
Always keenly interested in biology； his almost unlimited means had
permitted him to undertake； in secret； a series of daring experiments which
had carried him so far in advance of the biologists of his day that he had；
while others were still groping blindly for the secret of life； actually
reproduced by chemical means the great phenomenon。
Fully alive to the gravity and responsibilities of his marvellous
discovery he had kept the results of his experimentation； and even the
experiments themselves； a profound secret not only from his colleagues；
but from his only daughter； who heretofore had shared his every hope and
aspiration。
It was the very success of his last and most pretentious effort that had
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THE MONSTER MEN
placed him in the horrifying predicament in which he now found himself
with the corpse of what was apparently a human being in his workshop
and no available explanation that could possibly be acceptable to a matter…
of…fact and unscientific police。
Had he told them the truth they would have laughed at him。 Had he
said： 〃This is not a human being that you see； but the remains of a
chemically produced counterfeit created in my own laboratory；〃 they
would have smiled； and either hanged him or put him away with the other
criminally insane。
This phase of the many possibilities which he had realized might be
contingent upon even the partial success of his work alone had escaped his
consideration； so that the first wave of triumphant exultation with which
he had viewed the finished result of this last experiment had been
succeeded by overwhelming consternation as he saw the thing which he
had created gasp once or twice with the feeble spark of life with which he
had endowed it； and expireleaving upon his hands the corpse of what
was； to all intent and purpose； a human being； albeit a most grotesque and
misshapen thing。
Until nearly noon Professor Maxon was occupied in removing the
remaining stains and evidences of his gruesome work； but when he at last
turned the key in the door of his workshop it was to leave behind no single
trace of the successful result of his years of labor。
The following afternoon found him and Virginia crossing the station
platform to board the express for New York。 So quietly had their plans
been made that not a friend was at the train to bid them farewellthe
scientist felt that he could not bear the strain of attempting explanations at
this time。
But there were those there who recognized them； and one especially
who noted the lithe； trim figure and beautiful face of Virginia Maxon
though he did not know even the name of their possessor。 It was a tall
well built young man who nudged one of his younger companions as the
girl crossed the platform to enter her Pullman。
〃I say； Dexter；〃 he exclaimed； 〃who is that beauty？〃
The one addressed turned in the direction indicated by his friend。
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〃By jove！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Why it's Virginia Maxon and the
professor； her father。 Now where do you suppose they're going？〃
