Leroy Yerxa

“ From somewhere forward in the plane came a hard chuckle of laughter.
"Our hosts are coming to life," Drake said. "It's now or never." He pushed bare feet into the aisle and dropped, stretching his arms overhead with a yawn.
"As soon as I'm out of sight," he whispered, "get back to your berth and dress. I'll see you in the cabin ahead. Act as though you know nothing. Understand?"
Puffy grinned sadly.
"That'll be easy," he answered, "but I've been around those violins that talk death before. Don't like a tommy gun unless it's in my own hands."
"Okay," Drake said grimly. ”

“ Blake's gaze was on the small, ugly electro-gun in the bandit's hand.
"A visitor," Blake said laconically. At the same time he pushed his feet far back under the chair and braced them, like bent springs.
The masked man crouched at the waist and the gun whipped around, covering the few passengers in the car.
"Stand up—all of you." He spoke harshly and with deadly precision. "On your feet, and make it fast."
Blake waited. A low monotone of voices protested, died out to a whisper of fear, and the passengers, including Ferrell stood with arms raised. ”

“ A hard smile on his heavy face left no doubt as to his frame of mind.
"Hello, Drake," the mouth a mask of expressionless hate. "I take my hat off to you. Never gave Cinderella Drake credit for being anything but a whiskey mill."
Jim stood up slowly, knowing these minutes might be his last. Fear was in his heart. Not for himself, but for the doom that faced Sylvia Fanton unless she could be warned of Lardner's coming. ”

“ With the entire country a white layer of blowing snow it was difficult to make out the sharp walls of granite that arose from the cup-shaped hole below. It was like a huge bomb crater, perhaps ten miles across. On the valley bottom was the smoothly swept blue-green of a frozen lake.
The plane banked abruptly and Lardner cut the motors. Drake felt the tenseness mount within the cabin. A fear was filling these State Street gunmen that had never troubled them before. The motors were silent. The ship dropped below the lip of the canyon wall and the wind died smoothly. ”

“ Blake insisted, "from what O'Toole says, you've both been pretty tough on him. That is, if you're telling me the truth."
"Damn it, Blake," Ferrell exploded. "When I say nothing, I mean we haven't caught him violating any laws. It's—well, I just never had any admiration for Wade. He's what the younger generation would call a cream puff. Soft, flabby and a mind that refuses to grasp any problem fitted to a man of his age."
Blake stared out the window, waiting. The mono had pulled out of Hope. Outside nothing was visible in the night except an occasional jagged peak outlined against a cloudy sky. ”

“ We all too scared to think clearly for ourselves?"
Robinson got up.
"Come on, Roy," he said. "Let's go out and get chains on the car. We'll need them to make that south hill."
Roy Starr was trembling. Something had slipped inside him. Something that made him angry at all of them. Who did they think he was? Could they handle him like a ten year old kid?
"You want to lead Junior outside and give him a lecture," he snapped. "Please don't scare these good people. Well, you can all go to hell. I'm going after a deer. If it turns out to be the phantom buck, I'll get him. ”

“ The rainbow had faded swiftly and darkness was coming down on the cavern.
"I am Silvaris, King of the Fox People," he said swiftly. "On the Flaming Diamond depends our ability to exist. Night is almost upon us again, but unless the diamond can be restored to the paw of the bear, there will be no more night or day."
"But you have it!" Drake protested. "Lardner came here to get it back again...."
"Lardner came by mistake to this valley six months ago," Silvaris said brokenly. "We welcomed him as we welcome all people. He betrayed our trust and stole our life source. ”

“ Her lips were still slightly curved in that attractive oval of dismay.
"Do you always kiss strange men who look like people you know," he asked, and immediately realized he was being cruel. "Forgive me, it was unexpected."
A look of recognition flooded her face.
"You must be Jeff Blake!" She stood up and clasped his hand warmly. "If it weren't for that coat of space tan, I'd have sworn you were Wade."
"Dauna Ferrell," he said with a gasp. "Golly, but you've grown up since I saw you last." ”

“ The lives of many people are hinged on my playing the game alone. The curse that holds me, binds my people also."
Puffy Adams' jaw dropped. He reached for the always ready bottle in the small bar and poured a drink. He swallowed it with a loud gulp.
"George Lardner shares your knowledge," Drake said.
Sylvia's body shuddered under the fur.
"Lardner is a snake." Her voice was as cold as ice. "His greed has destroyed my people. Death will be his reward."
"All of which means," Drake said evenly. "You have recovered the diamond that you held in your hands last night at the Owl Limb." ”

“ Norm Boody grimaced.
"Man dead down the road. Something mauled him. Killed before the snow came this evening. Earl most ran over him."
The room was deathly silent for a moment. Then the woman's voice came, almost in a sob.
"Norm, Norm, it wasn't Bill, was it?"
Robinson said quickly:
"It wasn't Bill. I saw the face. No one I've ever seen before."
"Thank God for that," Mrs. Boody said. "You called the sheriff?"
"Can't," Norm Boody said. "Line's out of order. We'll get in touch with town in the morning." ”

“ Sylvia Fanton asked me to help you, and I am her brother."
Puffy Adams sat down abruptly on the cave floor.
"And I," he said unbelievingly, "am the keeper of Cinderella Drake, the sap who still looks for the silver slipper."
"But Sylvia is no fox woman," Drake protested. "She's too warm, too human!"
For a moment there was silence. Then a warm smile lighted the stranger's eyes.
"We are all human," he said. "We are early settlers who came to this valley and sought its sanctuary. Only the curse of George Lardner has spoiled our paradise and driven us into animal form. ”

“ They went out of the fenced space-field, bending double against the storm. For several minutes O'Toole led Jeff Blake through deserted streets. Reaching the lighted dome that was the Hope Mono-Terminal, he explained.
"Grudge Harror," he said, "is the leader of a gang of cut-throats who have been holding up and wrecking trains from here to the border. He's got Walter Ferrell on the verge of bankruptcy. If something doesn't happen soon to stop him, the Hope to Horn [1] line will fold up like a busted space-kite." ”

“ Larson spoke again before Robinson could answer.
"Of course we all go at things a little differently," he admitted. "However, I got an idea that the phantom wouldn't attack a man who didn't carry a gun. Earl left his in the car when he went into the swamp."
Robinson nodded.
"I went into the swamp," he admitted. "I had an idea the phantom might be sort of a ghostly protector of the herd. We have quite a slaughter of deer up here every fall. It must be hard on them if they have any feeling at all. What's so damn much different between men killing deer, or a deer killing a man? ”

“ Puffy asked in a puzzled voice, "why don't we clean up the mystery right now?"
"Wait!"
Silvaris went slowly down the long steps to the fox pit. He climbed the steps to the side of the polar bear and his sister's lifeless body. From her armpit, he took a huge gem. As he came toward them, Drake knew it was the Lardner stone, flashing and alive in the semi-darkness.
He pushed it into Drake's hands.
"Somehow Lardner pawned a paste imitation of the real Flaming Diamond off on us that night in Chicago," Silvaris said sadly. "The real stone is the only gem that will make the transformation." ”

“ Blake grinned. "Call Harror every name you ever heard of, but remember there are women in the car. We're going to get dragged out of here and have a talk with that freak."
O'Toole nodded.
"Okay!" he said. "I get the idea. If we can be bad boys, maybe Harror will spank us himself."
"He'll try," Blake answered quietly. "From then on it will depend on us who does the punishing."
Blake turned to the door and ignoring Dauna, started to pound on it with all his strength, O'Toole added his weight to Blake's and they started to shout loudly.
"We want to sock that big goon, Harror," O'Toole howled. ”

“ They turned and went into the cave of the Fox People. Perhaps the gem would work. But if it didn't, Lardner had died with the secret on his lips.
"You'll never get her," he had said, "even with the diamond."
At the edge of the pit they stopped. Silvaris spoke in a faraway, silencing voice.
"Our lives depend on you. I am no longer able to control myself. In a few hours we will all be dead...."
He hesitated and the voice trailed off into nothingness. Before their eyes the man fell away into a light mist. Instead, a large fox stood at Drake's feet, tail drooping and its eyes staring ahead dully. ”

“ Starr said grimly. "For lack of a better name, the phantom buck."
Robinson turned away, looking toward the car.
"You're crazy," he said. "Let's say we're both crazy. Our imaginations are running riot. I think the rest of the party ought to know about the automobile accident. We can't do any good here. We'll go on to Rosewood if we can get the buggy out of the ditch. We can call the sheriff from there. This is the sheriff's job, not ours."
The three people who had ridden in the rear seat were in the ditch, pushing snow away from the wheels. ”

“ He's stirring up trouble between Dauna and her father and making a dangerous ass of himself in the bargain."
Blake flicked the long ash from his cigarette.
"He must be a busy man," he admitted. "But where do I fit into this puzzle?"
Holly O'Toole was plainly bewildered.
"I wish I knew," he admitted. "I can't handle every angle alone, and if some changes don't come in a hurry, Wade, Dauna and Walter Ferrell will lose everything they have, including their sanity. You're the only man who can pound any brains into Wade's head. ”

“ He was muttering threats against his brother, Glenn.
"Never let a guy sleep," he groaned. "Always the first guy up and the only man on earth who can't let other people stay in bed when they want to."
Glenn Starr and Marjorie were already at the breakfast table. The others drifted in and sat down. A girl and a husky, sleepy-eyed man came down from upstairs. Roy Starr greeted the girl by chasing her around the stove and left her alone only after she picked up the poker and threatened to use it on him.
Robinson introduced the fifth member of the hunting party at the breakfast table. ”

“ There was a heavy step outside, and a murmur of angry voices.
"Shut up in there."
"We want to talk with your boss," Blake shouted. "Let us out or we'll clean up on the whole gang of you."
The door swung open, and a guard came in. Two more were close behind. Guns swung around, covering the car.
"You'll talk with Harror," the first man said. "And you'll be damned sorry you did."
He pushed a gun into Blake's side.
"Now walk," he ordered. "And walk straight. No monkey business."
O'Toole started to follow them.
"You're staying here," the guard growled. "This monkey is going to get the business." ”