Part 2 (1/2)
”Do you understand what he meant by those words? He kneould happen! And yet he let me carry that book aith me! In the name of God, what kind of a man is he?”
”Why didn't you destroy the book?” I de, too powerful to destroy I read that book with the reverence of an ecclesiastic until I knew every word between the covers, and the whole ghastly parade of Drukker's sixteen e Ten weeks ago I began to have night chronologically froain
”When I returned to Ao I still had the book with raved on ht I thought about it, until at length I foundhis criet the horrible impulse to fondle a butcher knife--Drukker used a butcher knife, you know!--and e to cut off someone's head It didn't matter whose head--but just a head!”
”Easy, Carse!” I cried with a wary glance at the kitchen table ”Tell me the rest, but don't excite yourself What happened then?”
He slid back in a sort of stupor, shook his head several tiesture of despair
”You ought to know da at your door last night Six weeks ago I went to bed and drea the first confession in the diary--soe impulse made me read _that_ confession and no other--and inat me It was a cruel, Teutonic head, and I knew that it was Eallows rope Then he smiled at me; a horrible, vivid, real s I cannot say, I sat as a spectator and watched the complete action of Drukker's Number One
”I saw Drukker leave his house and walk down a dark street with no other illuine how they were electric lights, for they had only gas in his day, but nevertheless they were hts, and the street looked like the street in front of my own house He walked about ten blocks; then he sao on a street corner There wasn't another soul in sight He crept closer to her, then drew out his butcher knife and hid it in the folds of his coat--a coat which looked strangely like my oind-breaker He first tried to talk with the woman, but she was not interested; so he pulled out the knife and brought it sweeping down across her throat The blood spurted like a fountain and overran Drukker's hand, but he only laughed and pushed the woan a horrible sawing movement with his knife When he had finished, he drew a towel frohtly to prevent the blood fro him home He came back the same way and entered the house, and at the foot of the stairs he unwrapped the towel and held the thing only by its hair as he cli I saw or heard was the blood dripping on each step as he ascended to the upper hall”
”My God!” I whispered in horror
”But that's not the worst,” Carse cried as he grabbedit was late and the shrieks of the newsboys stabbed intoabout a cruel, brutal ht I swung my feet off the bed to arise, when ht-table It was open to the confession of Nu it indread inwet and sticky touchup at me
”The room was sore-caked knife resting beside the head, and a crimson towel lay across my bedpost But there wasn't a drop of blood on my hands!
”I couldn't even attempt to explain it I only knew that a woman had been murdered and that her severed head was in my bedroom I didn't knohat to do I couldn't force myself into the belief that I was thethat Emil Drukker's Number One had been re-enacted and that I had played his own role Where could I turn? Whom could I ask for advice?
If I was mad they would co me
”I carried the head to the cellar and buried it; then I cleaned up the blood and burned the towel In my wardrobe I found a suit of clothes smeared with fresh blood I found my shoes and hat splattered with it, and then I found er stiffened as the blood had coagulated about it No wonder there wasn't any blood on my hands!
”I went over the house froht be evidence againstnewspaper in the other I compared the two cri of the heads Emil Drukker had done exactly the same as I had done: he carried the head in a towel, he left it in his rooht, he buried it in his cellar, and he cleaned up the blood the following hastly difference: Emil Drukker had coe, whereas I had committed my crime under hypnotic inducement!
”There is no other answer for what has happened in these last six weeks I have racked my brain to find another solution, but there is none I a hypnotized by some unexplainable force, and once each week I come under the power of this evil which directs and coht I went to bed with the full knowledge of ould occur during the night That is why I locked you in your roo when I awakened I found the head exactly where the other five had lain; then I carried it to the basement and buried it I cleaned up the blood and burned the towel
”If you are nuine how I feel about it
Six crimes in six weeks! And I can only thank merciful God that it will end with only one more Perhaps it is ended now That German servant who loaned me the diary said it would be only six or seven”
”Do you think the police will believe all of this?” I demanded ”What you have told me has no sane explanation It--it's des in heaven and earth,” he began; then he heaved his shoulders as if flinging off an attean, and no man can explain its mysteries I have seen too much of atavis we can do but wait and hope that the German servant's prediction is true Six or seven _Six_--or _seven_?”
”Do you rant you leniency?” I exclaimed ”Great heavens, Carse, there have been six horrible ”
”I have atoned enough for ten times six!” he cried ”Have you no soul in you? The cri else he predicted has co friend it is your duty to seethethe families of the six, and I swear to you that I shall never open a book on criain You must do it--you must!”