Edison Marshall

“ He turned to Ned first, but the latter was too immersed in his own despair ever to return his stare. Lenore didn't raise her golden head to meet his eyes. But before his gaze ever got to her, Bess was on her feet.
“Don't be too sure of yourself,” she cautioned quickly. He looked with sudden amazement into her kindling eyes. “Men like you have gone in the face of society before. You're not so far up here that the arm of the law can't reach you.” ”

“ Yet her eyes remained dry. Some way, she was beyond the beneficence of tears; partly because of her terror, partly, perhaps, because the instinct was with her yet to hide the truth from Ned and Lenore so long as possible. Thus she was not, in the last analysis, absolutely bereft of hope. It might be, since Ned was a man and she a woman, he would never become the prey of Doomsdorf to such a degree as she herself. And now there was no time to try to formulate other plans; to seek some other gateway of escape; no time more to listen to Ned's complaints of her inattention to Lenore. ”

“ Where, my young friend, do you think of going?”
“It doesn't matter——”
“There's snow and cold out there.” His voice was deeply sober. “Death too—sure as you're standing here. A weakling like you can't live in that, out there. None of your kind can stand it—they'd die like so many sheep. And as a result you have to bow down and serve the man that can!”
Ned had no answer. The greatest fear of his life was clamping down upon him.
“That's the law up here—that the weak have to serve the strong. I've beat the North at its own game, and it serves me, just as you're going to serve me now. ”

“ You should never have come to the North, you three! Society should never move from the civilization that has been built to protect it—otherwise it will find forces too big and too cruel to master. You're all weaklings, soft as putty—without the nerve of a ptarmigan. ”

“ In this climate we can trap almost the whole year round. We can start putting them out in a few days more—keep them out clear till June. Every year a ship—the Intrepid that you've likely heard of—touches here to buy my furs—just one trip a year—and it leaves here supplies of all kinds in exchange. But don't take hope from that. Hope is one thing you want to get out of your systems. The captain of the Intrepid and his Japanese crew are the only human beings that know I live here, except yourself—that know there's a human occupant on this island. ”

“ Doomsdorf said quietly. “The sooner we get these little matters straightened out, the better for all concerned. It isn't pleasant to be hammered to pieces, is it?”
He took one step toward Ned, and Lenore started to scream again. But he inflicted no further punishment. He reached a strong hand, seized Ned's shoulder, and snatched him to his feet.
“Don't try it again,” he advised. “Here in this cabin—on this island—I do and say what I like. I don't stand for any resentment. The next time it won't be so easy, and that will be too bad for everybody. You wouldn't be able to do your work.” ”

“ You're in hell if there is such a place—and you'll know it plenty soon.” He turned to Ned, his lip curled in scorn. “Your feeble arms over the chair back won't protect that girl if I make up my mind I want her. At present you may be safe from that—simply because some conquests aren't any pleasure if they're made with force. ”

“ Macbeth and his lady shouldn't have fallen. They were people with a purpose, and purpose should be allowed to triumph in art as well as in life. In life, Macbeth would have snipped off Macduff's head and left a distinguished line. ”

“ Shakespeare is a great delight on wintry nights; he remains real, when most of my other slim stock of authors fades into air. I like 'Merry Wives' the best of the comedies, though—because we have such fine fun with Falstaff. ”

“ Wealth—constituted authority—softness and ease and luxury. I'll teach you what softness is! You'll know what a heaven a hard bed can be, after a day in the wind off Bering Straits. You'll find out what luxury is, too. ”

“ Other islands are grouped all around you, making one big snow field when the ice closes down in winter. I could give you almost your exact longitudinal position, but it wouldn't be the least good to you. The population consists of we five people—and various bear, caribou, and such like. The principal industry, as you will find out later, is furs. ”